After the Sunrise
by Chameleon777
Summary: Takes place after "Foreverwood." Time goes on, people have fallen in love, things have changed, time has moved on and things are happy.....Well, not everyone is happy and tragedy strikes where everyone least expects..I do not own everwood, but I own OCs
1. Summertime Matrimony

The warm air and the soft wind combined to make a pleasant summer evening for all to fully enjoy.

Oh, but it was a pleasant evening already, even without the inviting weather. A wedding, a wedding that came out of a deep love which was beautiful and sincere beyond all common description, was happening in the silent, but strong town of Everwood.

Laughter and music filled the air as Andy Brown, one of the town's esteemed physicians, held his new wife, Nina, close to him as they swept across the dance floor, embracing their new roles as husband and wife.

At a table close to the dance floor, Rose Abbott sat holding her newly adopted daughter, Lily, in her lap, while Amy and Ephram, who were at the same table, watched with interest. Nearby, Harold Abbott, the other esteemed physician, watched Nina and Andy dance as he sipped a cup of juice and lingered.

"Amy, I sincerely hope that you and Ephram are not thinking of getting into an engagement or marriage just because Doctor Brown did," Rose said, gazing at her daughter as she bounced Lily on her lap.

Amy shook her head and smiled," Mom, don't worry, Ephram and I are working through our relationship at a reasonable pace," she said, smiling as Ephram put an arm around her protectively.

Rose smiled, relieved. However, before she could answer, Harold, who had been listening and was uncomfortable about the mention of an engagement between Ephram and Amy, came over to Rose and took her hand, giving Amy and Ephram only a polite smile.

"Rose, can we please go dance?" Harold asked, gently pulling his wife to her feet. "Amy and Ephram can mind Lily. I want to spend some time with my wife."

Giving Harold a curious smile, Rose quickly handed Lily to Amy and grasping her husband's hand, allowed him to lead her out on to the dance floor.

"Babies are interesting, but while I'm loving having another sibling, I definitely am not ready for my own yet," Amy confessed, as she bounced Lily on her lap.

Ephram nodded, "I think we're doing just fine for right now," he said, relieved that there was no pressure to get married and have a family, they could just enjoy each other right now. "Anyway, I thought Bright was going to stop by the reception after he did some homework."

Amy sighed, "Bright's in a real funk right now," she admitted. "I'm not sure if he'll show up or not."

"I've noticed that as well," Ephram commented. "Ever since Hannah decided to leave Everwood and go to Notre Dame to try and become closer to her family, Bright's been in a really sour mood."

"They weren't even going to be in a relationship, but I don't know what came over Hannah when she left like that," Amy scoffed. "She just left him a text saying that she was leaving and he'd be alone."

At that moment, Lily stretched out her arms towards Ephram. Amy smiled and without a word, she gently placed Lilly in Ephram's arms. Ephram grimaced but gradually relaxed so that Lilly was comfortable.

Continuing to hold hands, Amy, Ephram, and Lily watched the townspeople continue their celebration.

* * *

Miles away, in a deserted parking lot, Bright Abbott was leaning against his car, not caring that dust was getting all over his clothes. His full attention was on the degrading piece of paper in his hand.

It was from Colorado A&M, and it was telling him that, due to his major slip in grades, that he was not only off of academic probation, he was out of the school for good. Despite doing his best, Bright knew that it had been coming and the fight with Hannah certainly knocked his esteem down further than it already was.

Even though he had never wanted more than a friendship, Bright reflected, Hannah had assumed that he did and that misunderstanding had led to a verbal confrontation. It ended with Hannah walking away, packing her things, and leaving Everwood for good. She left a text message saying goodbye, which hurt him deeply.

Things had been horrible since the spring semester began, but it had gotten steadily worse. Without telling anyone, Bright had been forging perscriptions using his father's name to get a hold of anti-depressants from the local drugstore. He only took one every few days, but lately, they weren't doing any good.

Bright sighed, he was supposed to make an appearance at Dr. Brown's wedding reception, per the request of his parents, but in light of all that happened, he just wanted to go home and hide in bed.

Moving around the car, Bright got into the driver's seat and revved the engine. Crumpling up the letter, he put the car into gear and quickly sped out of the lot. A joyride around town, then home to bed.

* * *

Cheers rang throughout the air as the massive crowd watched Andy and Nina drive away from the party.

Of course, because of their love of Everwood, Andy and Nina elected to not take a honeymoon. Instead, Andy was going to take Ephram and Sam out to Buck's Rock for a little father-son bonding early the next morning, giving Nina and Delia some much needed mother-stepdaughter time.

Ephram and Sam had tied a bunch of cans to the back of his father's truck, but they did not cover it in shaving cream, as they knew Nina would find it cute, but Andy would be mad at them for it.

At the back of the crowd, Rose and Harold watched fondly, "I'm going to have to have a talk with that boy of ours about not showing up for the reception," Harold said, as he handed Lily to Rose. "Does he forget that Doctor Brown saved his life once? I really don't know what's gotten into him lately."

Rose sighed, "Harold, it's late, you can talk to Bright tomorrow," she said, putting Lily against her shoulder. "It's been a lovely day and a lovely break from life. We can deal with his absence tomorrow."

Harold nodded and, catching sight of Ephram and Amy at the front of the crowd, he turned away, "Come on, let's go home and go to bed," he said, taking his wife's hand and leading her away from the crowd.

Nobody knew it at the time, but the situation was about to get far worse than anybody ever imagined.


	2. Dawn of Tragedy

Long before dawn the next morning, Bright, who had barely gotten to sleep the night before because of intense sadness, woke up in a cold sweat. He had just gotten to sleep and then a nightmare hit him.

In the nightmare, everyone had gotten on with their lives to the point where they ignored him. While he sat alone with no job or school to keep him busy, life simply passed him by, like it already was.

Groaning, Bright pulled himself out of bed and being careful not to wake his parents or sisters, he quietly left his room and went downstairs. He needed some relief from his depression, he needed it BADLY.

Strolling into the kitchen, Bright quickly found his secret stash of antidepressants behind the cookie jar and that's when he saw that there was a bottle of vodka on the counter, still wrapped. _Amy had probably bought it for herself and Ephram_, Bright thought as he picked up the bottle.

_I should really go out to Buck's Rock and down this, _Bright thought_. It wouldn't do me any good to be caught by my parents before I got a _proper_ buzz. Heck, maybe I should just take a long sleep…..forever._

Putting the bottle and pills in the pocket of his pajama pants, Bright impulsively grabbed a steak knife from his mother's knife rack and slipped it into his other pocket. He could be dead by dawn and nobody would ever know. Why should people have to deal with him anymore? He was a failure and a mega burden.

Sighing, Bright grabbed the keys to his father's truck and walked through the kitchen. As he approached the front door, a razor, that his father had obviously forgotten to take back to the store or something, was sitting on the table near the coat closet. Bright quickly placed the knife on the table and hid the razor in his pocket.

Hopefully, everyone would soon forget his existence, Bright thought, as he quietly left the house.

* * *

Over at the Brown household, Dr. Brown lingered in the doorway to Ephram's bedroom, "You know full well it's time to get up, Ephram," he said, staring at his son, who was still in bed. "Sam's almost ready to leave and if you don't get up now, I'll go and send him up here with some cold water for your face."

Ephram didn't normally live there, he had spent the night here on his father's request, so that they could leave as early as possible on their bonding outing. Now, morning was here, and he was still very tired.

"Ephram, I mean it," Andy repeated. "Get up now, or it'll be raining on your head."

With a groan, Ephram sat up and peered at his father, "I'm up, are you happy now?" he scoffed, slightly cranky as he gazed at the alarm clock on the bedside table. "Four-thirty?! You woke me at four thirty?!"

"I thought we'd get out there in time to cook breakfast while watching the sunrise," Andy said in an amused tone, well aware that Ephram was annoyed with him. "I'll see you downstairs in 15 minutes."

Without another word, Andy moved off down the hallway whistling. Ephram groaned and with a deep sigh, he stood and began moving around his room to get ready for the long day ahead.

* * *

At Buck's Rock, Bright was sprawled out on the ground, leaning against a log as he quickly downed the entire bottle of antidepressants and drinking the vodka to make the pills go down easier.

_Nobody will miss me, I'm sure of that_, Bright thought, as he finished off the bottle and threw it at his father's truck., causing it to shatter upon impact. _I can't do any worse things than I've already done._

"_Wellll….that's all done," Bright slurred loudly, even though there was nobody in the area. "Now what am I gonna doooooo?"_

_Feeling around in his pocket for some object to occupy his time, Bright pulled out the razor. _

_For a moment, he simply stared at it and then, with a sigh, he dug the blade into his left wrist and drew it back. As the blood began to drip from his wrist, Bright smiled, soon it would be all over for him._

_After making several small, but deep, slices in his left wrist, Bright ignored the blood and, letting out a weak sigh of relief, he began mutilating his right wrist with the razor._

_Nobody knew he was out here, Bright knew. By the time he was found, it would be much too late._

* * *

_Twenty minutes later, after gathering supplies and saying goodbye to Nina and Delia, Andy pulled in the parking lot at Buck's Rock. From the passenger seat, Ephram yawned and stretched._

"_Ahh, here we are, Buck's Rock," Andy said, as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. _

_As he was waking up, Ephram looked over and to his surprise, he saw Dr. Abbott's newly purchased truck parked not too far off. Confused, Ephram got out of the car and that's when he noticed the glass shards._

"_Dad, why are there shards of broken glass next to Doctor Abbott's truck?" Ephram asked, as he moved closer to the truck to get a better look. "This looks like glass from an alcohol bottle."_

_As Sam climbed out of the back seat, Andy moved over to the truck, "Sam, why don't you go pick a place to set up camp?" he suggested, giving Sam a glance. "Ephram and I will be right there."_

_Sam nodded and ran off into the woods, "Dad, should we call Doctor Abbott about this?" Ephram asked, suddenly concerned. "Maybe somebody stole his truck and used it to hurt someone."_

_Andy shrugged, but, before he could say anything, there was a loud yell, "Dad!" Sam cried from the woods. "There's some guy laying here unconscious, bleeding from his wrists!"_

_Exchanging a concerned look, Andy and Ephram ignored the truck and hurried towards Sam's voice._

_When they arrived at the spot, Ephram was horrified to see that it was Bright who was unconscious and had bleeding wrists. Sam winced when he saw the razor still clenched in Bright's hand._

"_Ephram, take Sam to the car and phone 9-1-1 RIGHT NOW," Andy barked, tossing his keys and cell-phone to Ephram as he kneeled down next to Bright. "Don't come back without paramedics."_

_Ephram nodded and taking his gaze away from his friend, he dragged Sam from the woods._

"_Oh, Bright, why did you do this?" Andy lamented, as he quickly opened his pack and finding some socks, he tied them around Bright's bleeding wrists. "If you make it, you're going to need some serious help."_

_Andy found the empty bottle of antidepressants on the ground and, remembering the shards of alcohol bottle glass Ephram found, he quickly reasoned that Bright had fully intended on killing himself. Although he didn't know why, he would probably find out after getting Bright treatment at the hospital in Denver._

_Before Andy could figure out how to explain things to Harold later, Bright began to convulse and vomit._

"_C'mon, Bright, just hang in there," Andy gently cautioned, as he rolled Bright to his side so that he could vomit on the ground and not swallow it. "You'll be all right once you get to a hospital."_

_After about five minutes, both the seizing and vomiting stopped, but Bright remained unconscious._

"_Where the heck is that ambulance already?" Andy hissed to himself as he readjusted the socks covering Bright's wrists. "I don't know how much longer I can help Bright stay alive on my own."_


	3. Morning Shockwave

**The telephone had started to ring, just as Harold Abbott had turned to his wife and was going to kiss her awake, welcoming them both to the new day of their peace-filled lives.**

**Scoffing, Harold sat up and grabbing the cordless receiver from the bedside table, he clicked the TALK button, "This is Doctor Harold Abbott," he said, his eye briefly looking at the digital clock that read 7:00. "Denver? Yes, I SUPPOSE I'll accept the charges."**

**Unfortunately for Harold, the combination of the ringing phone and his voice woke his wife up. **

**Seeing that her husband was on the phone, Rose sat up and gently took hold of his arm.**

"**Hello…Yes, this is Doctor Abbott," Harold said, cranky about being woke up out of a restful sleep. "Andy, WHY in heaven's name are you calling me at seven in the morning from Denver?!"**

**At the mention of Dr. Brown in Denver, Rose leaned into Harold, but she could only hear muffled talking on the other end of the phone. **_**What in the world is going on in Denver? **_**She wondered…**

**There was silence, then sudden franticness, "Andy, you don't know anything about how he's doing yet?" Harold asked, as he absorbed the knowledge about Bright's suicide attempt. "I don't really care about my truck, let it sit there…Listen, I'm going to get to Denver as soon as I can….All right, goodbye."**

**Shaking, Harold put the receiver back on the cradle and, getting out of bed, he moved over to the dresser and began gathering clothes for the day, "Rose, I need to go to Denver right away," he said, as he quickly began to change into slacks and a sweater-vest. "Something incredibly devastating has happened."**

"**Rose, I don't think anyone saw this coming, but it happened this morning," Harold said, as he sat on the bed to put his shoes on. "Bright stole the truck this morning and tried to kill himself at Buck's Rock."**

**Rose's eyes widened in horror, "Our Bright tried to kill himself this morning?" she asked, as she quickly pulled herself out of bed. "How do you know this and who was on the phone just now?"**

"**That was Andy Brown on the phone," Harold said, as he stood up. "Apparently, he was camping with Ephram and Sam and…they found him out there. Andy called 9-1-1 and rode with Bright to Denver."**

**Without another word, Rose quickly found some clothes and got dressed, "Rose, what ARE you doing?" Harold asked, as he watched his wife set a speed record for dressing. "You can't bring Lily with you."**

**Rose took hold of his face, "Our son needs us BOTH, Harold," she said, releasing him. "Amy can look after Lily for the day. I am not sitting at home while our son lies in a Denver hospital having almost died."**

**Harold nodded, "You're right," he said, as he and Rose went into the hallway and down the stairs. "We just need to tell Amy and-"**

**Having been up eating breakfast, Amy was in the kitchen and overheard her father, "Tell me what, Dad?" she asked, rising from the breakfast table.**

"**Amy, your brother tried to kill himself early this morning," Harold said, watching as the look on Amy's face changed from curious to absolutely devastated. "Doctor Brown found Bright and got him to a hospital in Denver. Your mother and I are getting ready to go see him, but we need you to look after Lily."**

**Amy shook her head and stood, "Dad, I care about Bright just as much as you and Mom do," she argued. "Grandma's going to be back from her walk any time now, she can look after Lily, or we can all go and take her with us. Or maybe Nina Brown can look after her."**

**There was silence for a moment and then, Harold nodded, "We'll just take Lily with us," he said, relenting. "We can pick your grandmother up on her walk route and just go straight to Denver. I am so torn up about this that I may even have her drive us there…"**

**Rose went upstairs to prepare Lily to go outdoors while Harold and Amy lingered at the door, deep in shock. How in the WORLD did nobody see such a thing coming their way?**

* * *

"…_**..We've pumped his stomach….treated his wrists….he'll wake up eventually…."**_

"……_**his parents are probably on their way……I'll stay until they come…."**_

**It was quiet, Bright thought, as he felt the cold air around him. Perhaps he HAD died and gone on….**

**Slowly opening his eyes, Bright suddenly saw that he was in a small hospital room, in a clean bed. **

**Instead of angels and whatever else was in the afterlife, IV's, which were taped to his arms, and a weird tube from his stomach and lower organs, surrounded his bed. His wrists were heavily bandaged.**

_**Where am I? **_**Bright wondered, as he gazed around the room. **_**Why do I have a tube in my mouth?**_

**His eyes continued to wander until he suddenly saw Doctor Brown, accompanied by another doctor and nurse, come into the room, having seen him awake and gazing around.**

"**Brighton, can you hear me?" the younger looking doctor said, gazing into his eyes. "Blink if you can."**

**Even though he suddenly felt very tired and weak, Bright blinked.**

**Nodding, the doctor grabbed hold of the tube, "Okay, Brighton, now breathe in deeply, then exhale," he ordered. "I'll get this out of your throat now that you are conscious again."**

**Bright nodded and before he knew it, the tube had been pulled out of his mouth, "I feel…like I'm going to throw up," he said, as he felt the nausea build up inside his body. "Ohh, man…"**

**Before the nurse could grab the bedpan, Bright heaved and threw up all over the younger doctor's scrubs.**

"**S-Sorry about that," Bright said, trembling as he laid back down. "I just felt really sick…"**

**Wincing with disgust, the doctor stormed from the room and, giving Bright an uncomfortable look, the nurse followed after him. Letting out a sigh, Andy took a seat in a plastic chair beside the bed.**

"**I don't know why I didn't end up dead, Doctor Brown," Bright said weakly, as he gazed at the man sitting at his bedside. "I was all set and mentally ready to just check out of life…and even that didn't work out."**

**Andy sighed, "You know, my step-son actually found you and smart kid, he screamed for help," he said to Bright, who looked shocked. "Ephram and I came running and we found you….on the verge of dying."**

**Bright's eyes widened, "Oh, man," he gasped, coming to the sudden realization that his parents must have been told about his attempt and were probably coming to see him. "I really screwed up this time."**

"**By the way, I called your parents at about seven," Andy said, as if he could read Bright's thoughts. "I'm pretty sure they'll be here soon. It's nearly nine-thirty now…You've been unconscious since five."**

**Embarrassed and ashamed about how his problems were going to now come to the attention and concern of everyone who knew him, Bright went silent and stared at his blanket. Dr. Brown watched him, concerned.**

_**Will my parents still love and care for me once all my issues are out in the open? Bright silently wondered.**_


	4. Curves in Life's Road

Pain from his bandaged wrists caused Bright to wake up and realize that he was not only laying back down, he was also covered by several blankets with a soft pillow supporting his head.

Ignoring the pounding in his head, Bright blinked as he looked around and for the first time in a long time, felt unnerved by the silence surrounding him. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

Tears came to his eyes as the continual shock of what he had tried to do to himself hit him full force. If he had actually succeeded, his parents would have lost their only son, but did they care?

Swallowing hard, Bright rolled on to his right side and stared hard at his bandaged wrists. He hadn't told anyone but Amy about the break-up text from Hannah that had sent him into such a depressive funk and he had pleaded with her to keep it secret, but she had told Ephram about it.

That was probably what the liquor was for, Bright reasoned. Ephram and Amy were probably going to get drunk and make fun of Bright's failures as a person; everyone else already was.

Constant disappointment from his parents made Bright often feel if it was worth even giving anything meaningful in life a try; he would just do something careless and blow it.

Suddenly, nausea hit Bright like a speeding truck, causing him to close his eyes and moan.

No doubt the nausea was a side-effect of his utter stupidity, Bright thought, as he slowly pulled himself over to the edge of the bed so that he could puke gracefully all over the floor.

It took a lot of effort for Bright to get a grip on the railing of his bed and as he began to puke all over the floor, he failed to notice that the door to his room had opened and someone had entered.

Coughing, Bright rested his head against the cool rail and took a deep, tired breath.

"Well, that's sure an interesting way to decorate a hospital floor," a gentle voice commented.

Unable to figure out who was talking, Bright forced his head back on to the pillow and stared listlessly at the far wall; he felt tired enough to sleep, yet he didn't have the will to do it.

"Bright?" the voice spoke again, this time with a tone of concern. "Are you okay?"

Bright replied with a deep sigh, "I'm not," he whispered. "That's why I did this..."

"Well, kiddo, do you wanna turn and face me so I can see how you're doing?" the voice, which Bright could now identify as a brisk, yet soft feminine tone. "I am a nurse, after all."

Not wanting to be in more trouble that he was already in, Bright painstakingly rolled on to his back and saw that a tall, rather thin nurse with greying hair and a set of pink scrubs with matching pink sneakers was standing there, watching him through a pair of silver bifocals and a smile.

Seeing the medical equipment that the nurse had with her made Bright flinch, "What is all that stuff?" he asked, surprised about how groggy he sounded. "I'm feeling just fine."

The nurse gave Bright a look, "I just saw you decorate the floor with the contents of your stomach, kiddo," she replied. "Not only that, but you passed out in front of Doctor Brown, Doctor Mitchell, and I earlier...Chronic exhaustion is a sure-fire sign of depression, which explains the antidepressants that were pumped out of your stomach...it doesn't explain the vodka, though."

Bright looked down and suddenly noticed the IV's in his arms down from near his shoulders all the way down to the bandages covering his wrists. He also saw a strange clip on the middle finger of his left hand and saw a smaller line taped to his right hand, just above the bandages.

"I have to check your vitals," the nurse said in a calm tone, not able to help but feel sympathetic about her young patient's current situation. "Or would you rather have another nurse do it?"

Bright was silent for a moment, "Can you tell me your name first?" he asked. "If you HAVE to take care of me for a while, I'd at least like to know who you are and why they made you do this."

"First of all, young man, my name is Helen Mitchell and I am an intensive care nurse," Nurse Mitchell said, giving Bright a sharp look. "Secondly, I don't have to take care of you, I want to."

Again, Bright was silent for a moment, "Can you keep my parents and sisters from coming to visit me whenever they show up?" he asked quietly. "I don't want them to see me like this..."

Nurse Mitchell nodded, "After I do the vitals, you sleep and I'll go relay that request to Doctor Mitchell and Doctor Brown," she replied in a gentle tone. "For now, just relax, okay?"

Bright nodded and silently watched as Nurse Mitchell carefully placed a thermometer in his mouth and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around a free spot on his left arm. He was so tired.

The thermometer beeped suddenly and Nurse Mitchell removed it from Bright's mouth with a smile.

"Would you hate me if I went back to sleep?" Bright asked. "I don't have a lot of energy right now."

"It's not in my nature to hate patients, even if they want me to," Nurse Mitchell said in a gentle tone as she began checking Bright's blood pressure. "Nobody expects you to have a lot of energy."

When Bright didn't respond right away, Nurse Mitchell looked up and saw that Bright had fallen back asleep with his hands on his chest. She smiled and quickly checked his blood pressure in silence, as she didn't want to wake the young man unless it was absolutely necessary.

This was a serious situation and Dr. Mitchell would eventually need to visit with Bright himself, but that could wait until the young man was feeling better.

For now, however, Nurse Mitchell simply finished her work and after removing the velcro cuff from Bright's arm, she carefully moved his arms underneath the blanket and pulled it further up his body.

As she left the room to let Bright sleep, Nurse Mitchell silently promised that she would make it clear that Bright didn't want to see his parents or siblings for the time being. She hadn't known him long, but now that he was under her care, she would do her best to be of assistance.

While Bright rested, Nurse Mitchell would find Dr. Brown and see what more they could do.

* * *

"...Do you really think observation in a psychiatric ward is the best thing for Bright?" Andy asked as he and Nurse Mitchell walked down the ICU hallway back towards Bright's room.

Nurse Mitchell sighed; she wasn't sure how to answer, as to her, Bright seemed like a scared young man who was desperately crying for some positive attention.

However, the hospital policy on attempted suicide patients was very clear and there was a chance that it would be implemented.

After leaving Bright to sleep, Nurse Mitchell had run into Dr. Brown coming back from the cafeteria, where he had left Ephram and Sam to get some much-needed breakfast.

She had told Dr. Brown that Bright had woken up again after drifting off and Dr. Brown had immediately asked how Bright was doing.

Now, as they headed back towards Bright's room to keep him company, Andy found himself concerned about what would happen to Bright now that he had survived his suicide attempt.

"No, I don't think a long spell in a locked unit would help Bright at all," Andy replied, knowing that such a thing would only cause Bright to try suicide again. "However, as a medical professional, I do think that he needs counseling and reassurance that the future can be better for him."

Nurse Mitchell nodded, but before she could reply, an elevator door opened and a tall, well-built man with pale skin and a crew cut of salt and pepper hair that was cropped just above his ears stepped off the elevator and smiled upon spotting them.

In turn, Nurse Mitchell smiled and waved at the newcomer, as if they knew each other very well.

Andy immediately took stock of the man; he was wearing sneakers with duct tape around the tips, a pair of baggy green scrubs, and a white coat that had a hospital ID clipped to the left breast pocket and a stethoscope around the collar. There was a pair of bifocals covering his green eyes.

"Helen, have you seen my research journals?" the man asked as he walked over to them.

Nurse Mitchell smiled, "Devon, it's not a good time for a conversation, not yet anyway," she replied in a gentle tone as she put her hands in her pockets. "Doctor Mitchell, this is Doctor Brown."

"Ah, Doctor Brown," Doctor Mitchell said, a smile on his face. "I've heard a lot about you."

Suddenly recognizing the doctor from in the ER from when Bright first woke up, Andy smiled, "You did a good job reacting when Bright fell asleep earlier," he commented. "Not many doctors would think to make sure he was comfortable and let him rest...a lot of doctors would have woken him up, have nurses poke and prod him into irritation, and then prescribe some sort of tranquilizer."

"Well, Doctor Brown, I am certainly not most doctors," Dr. Mitchell replied, his tone soft. "Even though I am a doctor, I am also a fully qualified psychologist and I know for a fact that medication really won't help with Bright's situation. Besides, what was I going to do since Doctor Lefay stormed from the room with puke all over his scrubs? I had to intervene in that situation somehow."

Andy nodded and paused, seeing the look on Dr. Mitchell's face, "Although I am almost certain that Bright is exhausted, I do need to have a very serious talk with him," Dr. Mitchell stated. "I would like to involve Bright's parents eventually, but since he is an adult, I'll chat privately with him first."

Before Nurse Mitchell could reply, a cell-phone began vibrating in Andy's pocket, "Excuse me a moment," Andy said as he moved away and pulled the cell-phone from his pocket.

While Andy talked on his cell-phone, Nurse Mitchell looked at Dr. Mitchell, "Bright's really regretting what he did and he doesn't want to talk to his parents or sisters right now," she stated. "Do you want me to go and talk to him about how he feels about you talking with him for a little bit?"

"I'm concerned that Bright doesn't want to talk to his parents about this, it means that there's a potential for him to attempt this again," Dr. Mitchell said in a hushed tone full of concern.

Before Nurse Mitchell could reply, Andy walked back over to them as he returned the phone to his pocket, "That was Doctor Abbott," he stated. "Him and Mrs. Abbott are on their way here."

"Doctor Brown, can you do me a favor and call Doctor Abbott back?" Dr. Mitchell said, realizing that he would have to move very fast if he was going to be any help to Bright. "I'm thinking we shouldn't force Bright to see his parents before he's ready...Do you agree, Helen."

Helen nodded and looked at Dr. Brown, "I just have to check on Ephram and Sam in the cafeteria and then I'll phone Doctor Abbott," Dr. Brown said in a pleasant tone. "Maybe I should phone Nina to come and pick Ephram and Sam up...I can stick around for a while."

"Pay phones are in the cafeteria," Dr. Mitchell replied shortly. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be in my office for a bit and then I intend to talk with Bright myself."

Nurse Mitchell nodded and watched as Dr. Mitchell walked off, "Is Doctor Mitchell all right?" Andy asked, concerned that the doctor looked a little tired. "Perhaps he's overworked."

Nurse Mitchell was silent and then taking Andy's arm, she led him towards the elevators as a sign that she didn't want to talk about her husband anymore; she just wanted to get on with her work.

* * *

From her seat in the booth at the interstate McDonald's, Nina swallowed to offset the nausea that was threatening to surface in the form of her digested breakfast as she watched Delia stand at the counter, waiting for one of the many uniformed employees to take their lunch order.

Despite feeling sick, Nina's mind was reeling about the phone call she had gotten from Ephram nearly four hours ago while he and Sam were hanging out in a hospital cafeteria in Denver; in response to it, she had roused Delia and they had gotten in the car and hit the road.

In all honesty, she couldn't believe it; Bright Abbott attempting suicide was unthinkable.

Then again, Nina silently reasoned, Bright had been acting odd ever since right before she and Andy had gotten married. She didn't understand how nobody could have noticed the signs.

"...Harold, please try and relax," a worried voice filtered into the restaurant as the door swung open and footsteps entered the restaurant. "...Bright needs time to come to terms with this..."

Nina looked over to the entrance and watched in shock as Rose Abbott led a frustrated looking Harold into the restaurant and over to a table near one of the windows that needed washing.

"Rose, we need to become involved in this," Harold stated in an aggravated tone. "As far as I'm concerned, the minute this happened, Bright lost the right to make his own decisions..."

Nausea filled Nina's throat and as she rose from the table to run for the bathroom, she ended up puking on the floor; she coughed and immediately sank back down, her head spinning and her senses cloudy.

"Doctor Abbott, Nina got sick!" Nina, who was fighting the urge to cough, suddenly heard Delia shout.

Swallowing hard, Nina looked over just in time to see Delia leading a concerned looking Dr. Abbott over to her table, "All right, what other symptoms do you have?" Dr. Abbott asked in a concerned voice.

"Delia, why don't you go and visit with Mrs. Abbott?" Nina suggested in a nervous tone, avoiding Dr. Abbott's concerned gaze. "I need to talk with Doctor Abbott for a minute….privately."

Delia nodded and Nina watched as she walked over to the table where Rose was sitting, "I don't want judgment, I just want you to listen," Nina said as Dr. Abbott sat down across from her. "Andy and I had relations before we got married and I've been late twice…I think I might be pregnant, but I'm not sure."

"Have you mentioned this to Andy or anyone else yet?" Dr. Abbott asked in a concerned tone.

Nina shook her head, "I'm too scared to say anything until I know for sure," she said in a worried voice. "I was planning on getting one of those home pregnancy tests from the drugstore. Then I got the call about Bright and I brought Delia out here with me without a second thought about my own worries."

"Since Rose and I won't be able to visit Bright until he decides he wants us to visit, we're going back to Everwood after lunch," Dr. Abbott stated in a resigned tone. "It seems that Bright told a nurse that he didn't want family visitors and so far, his wishes are being respected by the hospital staff. Anyway, you and Delia follow us back to Everwood after lunch and you can come by the office for an examination."

Nina nodded, "Now, I suggest that you sit here and I'll go get you something to eat," Dr. Abbott stated as he stood up. "If you are pregnant, you need to think about the health of the baby and eat something."

As Dr. Abbott walked off towards the counter, Nina swallowed hard and gazed over at the Abbott's table, where Rose and Delia seemed to be having a pleasant conversation; life was becoming very confusing.


	5. Expressions of Pain and Peace

A pink dot on the strip. One small, yet very obvious pink dot was on the pregnancy test that sat on the sink in the master bathroom. Motherhood was in her immediate future.

Fighting the urge to swear, Nina sank down on to the toilet seat and sighed; she was pregnant with Andy Brown's child. After several years, she was going to be a mother again.

Dr. Abbott had taken her to a drugstore in Denver and had helped her to buy a pregnancy test. He had also advised her to come into the office for a check-up in the next few days since he didn't end up going into the clinic during the last few days, due to his worry over Bright. She had taken them over a casserole and tried to console them, but they were just inconsolable and wanted to visit with Bright.

Delia was a teenager and Sam was maturing very fast, Nina reflected as she got up and strode into the bedroom where Andy was still asleep in bed. He looked so relaxed and peaceful.

"Oh Andy, what am I going to do?" Nina whispered as she watched her husband sleep.

* * *

Bright sighed and tried not to wince as Nurse Mitchell combed his wet hair out of his face.

"I don't see why I couldn't take a normal shower and have some privacy," Bright grumbled as he smoothed down the scrub pants he was wearing undeneath his gown; he was grateful that Nurse Mitchell had gotten him something to cover his legs for the meeting today.

Fortunately, instead of having to lie down, Bright was now able to sit on his hospital bed with only two IV's in one arm. The bandages on his wrists had been changed and he was feeling better than he did when he was first admitted. Thankfully, he had suffered no organ damage.

Nurse Mitchell sighed and put the brush down on the portable table, "The water would wreck your stitches and you're still on suicide watch," she replied in a patient tone as she moved to stand in front of him. "Hopefully this meeting with your parents will go well today and there can be some discussion about some out-patient treatment options."

"Yeah right, like my dad will let me come home," Bright replied in a doubtful tone. "I took a bunch of pills, washed them down with vodka, and slashed my wrists. All of Everwood will either want to see the local freak show or want my father to lock me away for life."

Nurse Mitchell knelt beside him, "This is exactly why Doctor Mitchell wants to talk to you alone first before you both meet with your parents," she said as she gave him a gentle, yet concerned look. "He's worried that you'll feel completely alone during this meeting."

Bright sighed as Nurse Mitchell walked over to the wheelchair in the corner of the room and wheeled it over to the bed. "Ready for your chariot ride?" Nurse Mitchell asked gently.

"Can I try walking today?" Bright asked in a tired voice; he stood up and immediately, a small wave of dizziness forced him to sit back down. "Hang on a sec, I don't feel good."

Nurse Mitchell frowned and watched as Bright laid back on the bed, "You need to start drinking more water," she said in a concerned tone as she hurried over to the sink, grabbed a plastic cup, and filled it with water. "You also need to get into some sort of physiotherapy."

Bright nodded and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. Nurse Mitchell came back over to the bed with the cup of water and tapped his shoulder. Bright slowly opened his eyes.

"I'll give you some water," Nurse Mitchell said, offering the cup "Open your mouth."

Bright opened his mouth and immediately felt better as the water was poured down his throat. When the cup was empty, Bright allowed himself to be helped up and over to the wheelchair. He carefully sat down in it and silently put his feet on to the footholds.

"Bright, that little episode is exactly why you aren't allowed to go walking all over the hospital," Nurse Mitchell stated as she released the brake. "Give yourself some time."

Bright nodded and was silent as Nurse Mitchell threw the cup away and wheeled him out of the room. She was of the opinion that things would be fine, but Bright wasn't so sure.

* * *

_A. Abbott: Everwood's a nice place, Bethany. You should come and visit me here._

_Blue_Eyes: I was actually thinking about coming to school in Colorado in the fall. The nursing program here is all right, but UCLA is too big to enjoy and I need to get away for a while._

_A. Abbott: When your summer school's done, you should come out to Everwood for a visit and check out Everwood Community College. They have some pretty good programs here._

_Blue_Eyes: Might be a good idea...Oh, I have to go. My dad's wanting to talk to me._

_Blue_Eyes is offline._

Amy sighed and stowed her phone back in the pocket of her jeans. She looked up and saw that her grandmother had put Lily in the highchair and was getting ready to feed her breakfast. Lily smiled at Amy and extended her arms, gurgling anxiously.

"You get bored with your friend from California already?" Edna asked as she opened a cupboard and took out a jar of peach baby food. "You were only texting for five minutes."

Amy shrugged, "My mind's not really on California right now," she replied in an offbeat tone as she stood up and moved over to the fridge to find something to eat. "I had a lot of fun visiting there and touring the UCLA campus, but I'm more worried about Bright right now."

"Don't focus on that," Edna replied in a blunt tone. "You should focus on enjoying the summer and preparing for school in the fall. Your parents will take care of your brother."

Before Amy could reply, there were footsteps and Amy saw her parents walk into the kitchen looking very concerned; her father was dressed in nice pants, a dress shirt, and a nice jacket while her mother was wearing loose pants and a nice long-sleeved shirt.

"Amy, your father and I are about ready to leave for Denver," Rose said as she walked over to Amy and gave her eldest daughter a hug. "Can you take care of Lily today since your grandmother is helping Doctor Brown at the clinic? We should be back by dinner time."

Amy nodded, "I wish we could all go," she replied. "I actually miss Bright a lot."

"Doctor Mitchell had to talk to Bright for hours for the past few days just to convince him to see your mother and I this morning," Harold stated in a semi-irritated tone as he walked over to the wall where the key rack was and removed the car keys from its peg. "He's very stubborn."

Rose sighed, "Bright's going through a very rough time right now, dear," she replied in a soothing tone as she gave her husband a look. "We should do as Doctor Mitchell suggested and not be judgmental, but be supportive and help Bright learn to like himself again."

"Maybe you're right, Rose," Harold replied in a resigned voice. "Are you ready to go?"

Rose nodded, "It's been too long since I've seen my son, Harold," she replied. "Let's go."

"We'll call when we're ready to leave Denver," Harold stated as he walked over to Rose.

As Harold left the kitchen, Rose moved over to Lily and gave her a small kiss, "Your father's going to need some time to figure out how to deal with this," she said in a worried voice as she moved towards the doorway. "I'm just glad that this didn't kill Bright, personally."

Amy was silent as her mother hurried from the room. "Grandma, I don't know how I'm going to be able to face Bright when he comes home," she said in a worried voice as Edna opened the jar of food. "I got up early this morning and on my way downstairs, I stopped by Bright's room to close his door. There was a journal on his bed and I couldn't help myself."

Her cheeks burning with shame, Amy reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a worn journal, "I kinda read it and he hasn't really been happy for a while," she stated.

"Amy, it wasn't a good idea to snoop through Bright's personal property," Edna stated in a gentle, yet firm tone as Amy pocketed the journal. "I've noticed his mood changes, though, and I was worried that he might try something like this sooner or later."

Amy nodded, "Now, while I'm feeding your sister, it would be a good idea to return that journal to where you found it," Edna stated firmly. "When you're done that, come back to the kitchen and we'll talk about how you can be a help to Bright when he comes home until I have to leave to help at the clinic. You and Lily should maybe go for a walk later today."

Not wanting to disobey her grandmother, Amy nodded and left the room in silence while Edna turned her attention to Lily and began to feed her food from the jar with a small spoon.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay, Nina?" Andy asked as he watched Nina gather up his, Delia's and Sam's breakfast dishes and take them to the sink. "You look a little pale this morning."

Nina nodded, relieved that Sam and Delia were in their rooms getting ready for school and not at the table to ask questions about her health. "I'm all right, Andy," she replied in a nervous voice as she set the dishes in the sink. "Is Edna going to be helping you today?"

"I'm also hoping that Ephram will want to come and help out," Andy replied in a cheerful tone as he watched Nina fill the sink. "Maybe you should come by the clinic and get looked at."

Nina sighed and put some dish soap into the sink. "It's nothing that nine months won't cure," she replied in an uncertain voice as she looked at the counter. "You should get to work."

"Nine months?" Andy asked, his eyes widening as he suddenly rose from the table.

Nina nodded and gazed at Andy, "Can we talk about this later, please?" she asked in a distressed voice. "Maybe you should wake Ephram and have him come help you today."

"Ephram stayed the night at his and Bright's apartment," Andy replied in a worried voice, putting his arms around his terrified wife. "He's thinking of moving back home because Bright will more than likely stay with his parents whenever he's released from the hospital and the rent is a little tough for one person to cover. He's still thinking about it, though. It was nice of him to stay over for a little while, though."

Nina remained silent and placed her hands over Andy's, "I am so happy about your news and I will be there for you every step of the way," he said in a reassuring voice. "Okay?"

"I love you Andy Brown," Nina whispered, turning and hugging Andy with all her might.

* * *

With a sigh, Bright gazed up at the clock above Dr. Mitchell's bookshelf and then down at the immaculate floor of the office. Dr. Mitchell smiled at him from the other side of the desk.

"I can't do this," Bright said in a near-panicked tone. "I can't face my parents."

Dr. Mitchell sighed, "Bright, just take a deep breath and relax," he said in a gently concerned tone as he watched Bright tremble while seated in the wheelchair and looking at the floor.

"My dad's gonna explode when he sees me, I just know it," Bright replied in a heavily distressed tone as he gazed up at Dr. Mitchell. "I look like crap and I feel even worse. He's gonna tear a strip off of me."

Dr. Mitchell rested his hands under his chin and looked very thoughtful, but he remained silent, "I've always been ignored by my parents because they expected more from my sister," Bright continued on in a semi-despondent voice as he lifted his bandaged wrists and winced. "I was tired of being seen as the impenetrable doormat by everyone and I just wanted it to be over. I stole my dad's prescription pad right before the summer and forged his signature to get some anti-depressants. The recommended dose didn't help, so I took twice the amount every single day to try and make myself feel better."

Footsteps and a door opening suddenly caused Bright to fall silent, "You did what, Bright?" the shocked, unusually sharp voice of his father asked. "You forged my signature to get some anti-depressants?"

Bright turned his wheelchair to see his parents standing in the doorway with Nurse Mitchell. His mother looked shocked, Nurse Mitchell looked concerned, and his father looked exceptionally angry.

"Doctor Abbott, we weren't quite ready for you and your wife yet," Dr. Mitchell said, immediately rising from his desk to shake their hands and try to diffuse this tense situation. "Now, if you'll-"

Harold glared at Dr. Mitchell, "Don't you tell me what to do with my son!" Harold snapped, his voice rising along with his anger. "Bright Abbott, how could you do such an insanely stupid thing?"

"Harold!" Rose said in a shocked, horrified voice as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "We agreed—"

Dr. Mitchell gestured to the couch, "Doctor and Mrs. Abbott, why don't you sit down and-"

"Forget it!" Bright shouted, bolting to his feet and ignoring the sudden dizziness that hit him; he turned to Dr. Mitchell with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, Doctor Mitchell, I can't do this."

Swallowing hard, Bright slowly moved towards the door, grabbing on to every piece of furniture he could to keep himself from falling over. Harold grabbed his arm, but Bright pulled away unsteadily.

"Don't touch me!" Bright yelled anxiously, suddenly feeling as if he were going to throw up.

Recognizing the look of distress on Bright's face as one of panic, Rose pulled Harold away, "I am so SICK of EVERYONE treating me as a doormat and ignoring me otherwise," Bright yelled in an angry, but very weak voice. "Life's been hard enough and I just wanted to stop hurting for once! Ever since Colin died, my life has been a MESS and nobody cared about me; you were all just worried about Amy. I tried so hard to get your attention by getting better grades and being nice to people, but it didn't work. I was happy for a little while with Hannah, but she discarded me like trash. When Doctor Brown got married, I didn't even go to the reception because it made me sick to see everyone so happy when I wasn't."

With a sigh, Bright slowly moved out of the office, "Bright!" Rose said in alarmed voice as she followed after her son. "Harold, we need to go after him. Doctor Mitchell, we could use your help too."

Unaware that his parents, Nurse Mitchell, and Doctor Mitchell were following after him, Bright stormed down the hallway towards the elevator. All he wanted to do was go back to his room and sleep.

Unfortunately, Bright failed to notice the sign indicating a freshly mopped floor between him and the elevator. He suddenly found himself slipping and falling backwards towards the wet hospital floor.

The last thing Bright heard was a crack and a pop as he slipped into the realm of unconsciousness.

* * *

Reviews please?


	6. Hitting Truth Hard

Knocking that closely resembled pounding prompted Dr. Mitchell to look up from the newspaper he was reading while seated at his desk. He fully expected that he would have a visitor in his office soon.

"Come in," Dr. Mitchell stated, folding the paper and setting it down on his desk.

The door opened and Harold entered the room, "I find myself at a loss as to why I'm here, but Rose insisted that I come and apologize for my behavior in the meeting," he stated in a cynical tone. "It wasn't my intention to have Bright storm from the room-"

"Whether or not it was your intention, Doctor Abbott, it happened," Dr. Mitchell replied in a less than impressed tone as he gazed up at Harold. "You're fortunate, did you know that?"

Harold raised an eyebrow as he approached one of the visitor chairs, "I'm fortunate?" he asked in a cynical tone. "My son is an attempted suicide patient. How am I fortunate?"

"Your children live within a reasonable distance of you and your wife," Dr. Mitchell replied in a slightly annoyed tone. "They are able to communicate with you whenever they want without having to pick up a phone, send an email, or book a flight. My children can't do either, nor can my grandchildren."

Harold scoffed, "I can't even listen to this," he snapped. "What you are saying is nonsense."

"What's nonsense is that you have wonderful gifts and opportunities right in front of you that you choose to ignore," Dr. Mitchell stated in a curt tone. "It's somewhat horrifying, actually."

Harold was speechless; he sat down in the chair and stared at Dr. Mitchell in shock. Who was this man giving him advice that actually made sense? Was it God in a human form?

"Now, I don't mean to get frustrated or angry with you, Doctor Abbott," Dr. Mitchell suddenly said as his facial expression softened. "My lack of patience when dealing with patients' family members sometimes materializes itself at the most inappropriate times."

Biting his lip, Dr. Mitchell suddenly sighed, "I'm sorry for exploding at you, Doctor Abbott," he stated in a strained voice as he slowly relaxed. "Once he's in the clear as far as this new head injury goes, I'm actually thinking of discharging him to your care. I am, however, going to put Bright into counseling."

"That would be wonderful if you could do that for him," Harold replied. "Who would be his counselor?"

Dr. Mitchell smiled, "Me," he replied gently. "I have education and experience doing this, so I am perfectly qualified to help Bright through his very long recovery."

"How often would Rose or I need to bring Bright in per week?" Harold asked in an intrigued voice.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Dr. Mitchell let out a chuckle, "I was actually thinking I might come out to Everwood once a week to talk to Bright," he replied gently. "I want to try and understand what caused him to take such a drastic step so that I can better help him; I'm sure you'll agree…"

"I actually do agree," Harold replied, intrigued by this doctor's style. "When can you start?"

Dr. Mitchell sighed and suddenly looked very somber, "Not this week, unfortunately," he replied in a less than pleasant tone. "My wife and I are going out of town in a couple of days and won't be back until next week; besides, I want to discuss this plan with Bright before we start making counseling appointments."

"I hope Bright wakes up soon," Harold said in a worried voice. "I can't believe he slipped and fell…"

Getting to his feet, Dr. Mitchell walked around the desk, "I'm sure there will be no permanent damage," he replied gently as he opened the door. "The head CT didn't show any damage, so it's more than likely a mild concussion that will just require rest and time to recover from. Now, shall we go see your son?"

"By all means," Harold replied, more than impressed by how professional Dr. Mitchell seemed to be.

* * *

_"...I now pronounce you husband and wife..."_

_A nicely adorned bride and groom standing before Reverend Keyes greeted Bright's vision; there was a crowd of people from all reaches of Everwood seated in the many rows of chairs that were arranged just steps away from a beautiful arch where the bride and groom stood, holding each other's hands tightly._

_"Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present to you Mr. and Mrs. Ephram Brown!" the joy filled voice of Reverend Keyes called out to the crowd, smiling as loud cheers and clapping filled the summer air._

_Bright's eyes widened as he spotted his parents and grandmother, who was holding Lily, near the front of the crowd, "Mom, Dad?" he asked nervously, quickly approaching them. "Why didn't you tell me?"_

_There was silence and Bright frowned, "It's such a shame that Bright wasn't able to be here today," Rose said in a less joyful voice as she watched Ephram and Amy walk up the aisle together. "I miss him."_

"_Now Rose, let's not bring this up in front of Amy or Ephram," Harold replied somberly. "It was hard enough for her to get over Bright's death and when Ephram proposed, it was a __nice distraction…"_

_Bright frowned, "I'm dead?" he asked, frowning as he suddenly noticed the tombstone in the back of the chairs that Amy and Ephram had stopped at before leaving the area. "Oh man, I really am dead!"_

"_Amy, let's go," Ephram __said in a somber voice. "Everyone will be expecting us at the reception hall."_

_Amy was silent for a moment and then nodded, touching the tombstone, "Okay," she replied softly._

A loud, agonizing scream escaped Bright's lips and he suddenly felt a warm hand touch his cheek and stroke it gently, "Bright, it's Mom," a gentle voice said. "Honey, open your eyes if you can."

Bright opened his eyes and was relieved to see his mother sitting at his bedside, "Mom?" he asked in a groggy, pain-filled voice as he gazed at her. "I was dreaming that I had died and you didn't miss me."

"Sweetheart, I'm so relieved that you're still alive," Rose replied worriedly as she gently adjusted the bed controls so that Bright's bed was a little more upright. "You slipped on the floor outside of Doctor Mitchell's office and hit your head. Doctor Mitchell says that you have a mild concussion…"

Bright swallowed hard, "When do I get sent to the nuthouse?" he asked in an anxious voice.

"Actually, Bright, I'm going to keep you for another day or two to monitor your concussion and vitals, but then I'm going to release you into your mother and father's care," Dr. Mitchell cut in as he approached Bright's bedside with a chart in hand. "Since your father's a doctor, he can make sure you get plenty of rest and proper nutrition and I'm also insisting that you begin counseling next week."

Bright nodded and promptly yawned, "Sorry," he replied groggily. "I've been tired for a while…"

"You should really start eating if you want to get out of here in the next couple of days," Dr. Mitchell said in a semi-commanding voice as he smiled at Bright. "I'll call the cafeteria and have them send some food to your room; maybe once you've eaten and rested, you can try a bit of walking up and down the hall…"

Bright sighed and Dr. Mitchell smiled, "All right, I think I'll leave you three to spend some time together," he said in a gentle voice. "I'll check back before I get off duty tonight; I hope everything goes well."

As Dr. Mitchell moved away, he gave Harold a knowing look to remind the overzealous doctor to not be aggressive and take things slow with Bright. Harold nodded and silently scoffed as Dr. Mitchell left the room. Rose ignored her husband's scoff and turned her attention to helping Bright feel comfortable.

* * *

The Denver airport was quiet, at least to Amy as she moved across the terminal and lingered at the gate where she was to wait. She had gotten a call late last night from her friend in L.A., who had said that she was coming out to Colorado that day and needed to be picked up from the airport with her luggage. She had also sent about a thousand apologies for the trouble.

Amy had quickly explained the situation to her grandmother, who had insisted that she not go alone, and they had left Lily with Nina before driving to Denver. Dr. Brown had happily allowed Edna to leave work early because it wasn't busy. Now, as her grandmother lingered by the closest storefront to the gate, Amy waited anxiously for the parked plane's gate to be opened.

Fortunately, it wasn't a long wait; within a few minutes, the gate opened and passengers of various shapes and sizes filed into the terminal with various sizes of carry-on bags on their shoulders. Amy looked through the small crowd for any sign of her friend, but she didn't see anyone familiar to her.

"Amy, maybe she changed her mind," Edna spoke gently, wondering if Amy had, in fact, been played.

Amy sighed and was about to turn around when she saw a very tired looking young woman with long, dirty blonde hair come out of the gate wearing sneakers, bellbottom jeans, a t-shirt, an oversized hoodie, and some gloves that looked knitted. She was pulling a small rolling suitcase behind her and holding a purse. She smiled at Amy.

"Bethany!" Amy cried happily as she hurried over to her friend. "I'm glad you made it out to Colorado safely!"

Bethany smiled, "Amy, I'm sorry I gave you such short notice," she replied softly. "My dad decided that I should get out of Los Angeles a lot sooner than I thought I would be leaving. He got me a place in Everwood online and I just need a ride there…"

"Amy, who's your friend?" Edna asked as she walked over to the gate. "I'm Amy's grandmother, Edna Harper."

Bethany's smile wavered a bit, but she nodded, "I'm Bethany," she replied softly. "It's very nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Are you two hungry?" Edna asked, immediately concerned by Bethany's withdrawn demeanor. "Where's your luggage?"

Bethany sighed, "I didn't bring much from L.A," she replied softly. "My dad said I should just leave the past behind; all of it."

Edna nodded, "We'll stop at a place on the way out of Denver," she replied gently. "Is there any place you prefer?"

"Before we leave, could I make a phone call?" Bethany asked softly. "My grandparents live and work in Denver and I should let them know that I got in safely. They weren't expecting me to be in the area until next week, but…"

Amy nodded, "Sure," she replied, wondering why Bethany suddenly seemed so emotional. "If your grandparents live here…"

"Then why don't I stay in Denver instead of Everwood?" Bethany finished softly. "I just don't like the city life much."

Before Edna or Amy could reply, Bethany hurried over to a payphone and quickly turned her back to the two women so that neither would see the worried look on her face. She dropped some coins in and quickly dialed her grandfather's number.

A few minutes later, after leaving a message on the machine in her grandfather's office, Bethany came back over to where Amy and Edna were standing, "Well, I'm ready to go," she said in a less stressful voice. "You mentioned something about food?"

* * *

Nearly half an hour later, Bright was sitting up in his hospital bed and silently allowing his mother to feed him one spoonful of stew at a time from the large bowl that the cafeteria had sent on a tray along with bread, apple juice, and sliced fruit.

While Rose and Bright sat together, Harold lingered quietly by the door deep in thought about the days to come; he had never been good at serving as emotional support and it had almost cost him the life of his only son. He needed to be a support…

A knock at the door brought Harold out of his thoughts just in time to see the door open, "Sorry to interrupt your dinner, Bright, but I just wanted you to know that I actually am flying to Los Angeles in just a few hours," Dr. Mitchell explained in an apologetic voice as he entered the room. "My wife, however, will be here to take care of you and see you discharged."

"Family troubles, Doctor Mitchell?" Harold asked worriedly as he followed Dr. Mitchell into the hallway. "Can I be of help?"

Dr. Mitchell smiled gratefully, but shook his head, "My granddaughter recently came out to Colorado to stay in Everwood at the insistence of her father," he explained in a tired voice. "I need to go out to Los Angeles to help my younger son with things…"

"If there's anything I can do, please let me know," Harold replied worriedly. "I hope things are all right for you and your family."

Dr. Mitchell nodded, "Focus on repairing on your own family for now, Doctor Abbott," he replied softly. "Help Bright heal."

"I've never been good at serving as emotional support, Doctor Mitchell," Harold confessed. "Rose is much better at it."

Dr. Mitchell sighed, "Well, maybe you should take a few days off from work once Bright goes home so you can learn to be an emotional support," he replied softly. "Bright's going to be emotional from this and he'll be sick from this for a while yet…"

"I'm forbidding Bright from going back on antidepressants," Harold stated bluntly. "He doesn't need drugs to get better."

Dr. Mitchell shrugged, "My daughter, Amy, went on anti-depressants after her boyfriend died and she became semi-dependent on them," Harold continued in an emotional voice, not caring that he was ranting to a total stranger. "Bright doesn't need…"

"I'm not going to tell you how to take care of your children, Doctor Abbott," Dr. Mitchell replied softly. "That's not my job; it is your job, however, to be a supportive parent."

Before Harold could reply, Dr. Mitchell turned away and walked off down the hallway, leaving Harold alone to think.

* * *

_**Please read and review**_


	7. Homecoming Tension and Explosion

_**Two Days Later**_

The bed was all made up, but Bright was laying on it wearing jeans, socks, and a loose button up t-shirt while he waited for his parents to come with someone who would let him out of there. His wrists had been checked and rewrapped the night before and only one IV was still embedded in his right hand.

Even though Bright knew he was all dressed and ready to go, he also felt very tired and reluctant to go back to Everwood; there would no doubt be rumors about his failed suicide attempt floating around.

"Not a morning person, handsome?" a gentle voice spoke into Bright's ear. "It's time to wake up."

Bright opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Nurse Mitchell standing at his bedside with a supply cart, "Your parents are at the desk signing you out and I'm here to get that IV out of your hand," she explained in a gentle voice. "For the first week or so, you're going to feel very tired and maybe a little sick here and there, but don't worry about it. Hopefully, your parents will be able to help you…"

"I'm a little upset with my dad, actually," Bright replied groggily. "He told me that he went into my room last night and confiscated my antidepressants; he says that if I'm not happy, I should just get a hobby."

Helen sighed and handed Bright a card, "That's Doctor Mitchell's card," she explained as she removed the tape from his hand. "If you need someone to talk to and you don't feel like you can talk to your parents, Doctor Mitchell says you can call him anytime, any day of the week, all right kiddo?"

Bright nodded, "Now, I'm going to take this needle out and put a bandage over the hole," Nurse Mitchell explained in a gentle voice as she got a gauze pad and tape from the cart. "It'll sting just a bit…"

"Ouch," Bright whispered as the needle was removed from his hand and replaced with gauze and tape.

Nurse Mitchell smiled, "How are your wrists feeling?" she asked softly. "You're looking a bit pale."

"They're sore, but don't tell anyone," Bright replied groggily. "I also feel a little sick, but it'll pass."

Nurse Mitchell nodded, but before she could reply, the door opened and Rose came into the room with an orderly who was pushing an empty wheelchair, "Ready to go, Bright?" Rose asked in an enthusiastic voice as she came over to the bed. "Thank you, Nurse Mitchell, for being so kind to my son."

"Mom, where's Dad?" Bright asked groggily, wondering why his father wasn't there seeing him.

Rose sighed, "Your father's getting the car," she replied in a less than happy voice. "Ready?"

A shadow of disappointment crossed Bright's face, but he silently nodded, slowly sat up, and carefully maneuvered himself from the bed into the wheelchair, "Mom, I haven't eaten breakfast yet," he said in a nervous voice, not wanting to admit that he had no appetite. "Shouldn't I eat before we go?"

"Your father said we can stop at a restaurant on the way home," Rose replied softly. "Shall we?"

Bright nodded and looked down at his bandaged wrists, "Thanks," he replied softly as he tried hard not to cry about how his father was acting over this whole situation. "Mom, I really love you a lot."

Rose was quiet for a moment and then gently hugged Bright, "I love you too," she replied gently, kissing him on the cheek before straightening up. "You have people on your side to get you through this."

"Yeah," Bright said softly as he reached up and wiped a tear from his eyes. "Can we please go?"

Rose nodded, "I gave Bright my husband's card if there's any problems," Helen whispered to her as they and the orderly left the room with Bright. "Bright, Doctor Mitchell said he'll be in touch next week."

When Bright didn't reply, Helen silently watched as Rose and the orderly continued to the elevator for only a moment before she went around the corner. Not far down the hallway, an exhausted looking Dr. Mitchell was leaning against the wall outside of a closed hospital room in green scrubs and boots.

"Devon?" Helen asked as she walked over to him. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

Dr. Mitchell sighed, "Everything was a mess out there," he replied softly. "I admitted him here."

"Devon, he's got to go back to testify at Brian's trial," Helen replied worriedly. "So does Bethany…"

Dr. Mitchell shook his head, "Brian pled guilty and he's going to stay at the correctional facility until his sentencing next week," he replied somberly. "I don't think any of us need to be there for that; do you?"

Helen shook her head just as the door opened and a nurse came out, "Nurse Mitchell, your son woke up for just a moment and asked for you," she said in a quiet voice. "He's back asleep again, but you can…"

Nodding, Helen entered the room and walked over to the bed where a very pale, middle-aged man with messy brown hair was asleep in the hospital bed. He was wearing a gown, had oxygen tubes in his nose, and there were several IV lines in both hands. There were several filled pill bottles on the bedside table.

"Hey baby," Helen said in a soft voice as she walked over to the bed and sat in a chair. "Jake, it's Mom…"

* * *

The apartment looked almost put together and even though it was small, it had a decent amount of furniture; two chairs, a nice couch, a wooden coffee table, a bookshelf filled with a few books, CD's, and several VHS tapes, and a nice TV that sat in a small media cabinet. It was home for one.

They had been working on the apartment for nearly an hour, but since the apartment had come fully furnished courtesy of Bethany's father, Amy and Bethany only had to unpack Bethany's luggage.

Amy silently sat on the couch and smiled as Bethany came out of a nearby room with an empty box in her hand, "Everything's in the bathroom," Bethany said in a cheerful voice. "Thanks for helping me."

"It's not a problem," Amy replied cheerfully. "Hey, Bethany, did you want to come over today?"

Bethany shrugged, "I don't want to impose," she replied in a reluctant voice. "I'm pretty tired."

"Do you want a tour of Everwood then?" Amy asked anxiously. "It's small, but kinda fun."

Bethany shook her head and was about to reply when the phone rang, "Excuse me," she said in an anxious voice as she hurried over to the cordless phone that was on the wall and picked it up.

"Hello?" Amy heard as Bethany hurried off into the back area of the apartment. "Oh, hi Daddy."

There was silence for several minutes and there was suddenly a knock at the door, "Amy?" Ephram's voice spoke through the door. "It's Ephram; I came by to see if you and Bethany needed any help."

Amy grinned as Bethany came back into the room holding the phone, "Who's at the door?" she asked.

"My boyfriend, Ephram, came to see if we needed any help," Amy replied softly. "Remember him?"

Bethany nodded and walked over to the door, "Hello Ephram," she replied as she opened the door.

"Hey Bethany, how are you?" Ephram asked softly. "I heard you flew in from L.A. a couple of days ago."

Bethany silently nodded and moved into the kitchen, "Yeah, I've got an appointment with an admissions counselor at ECC this morning," she replied softly. "I hope all of my credits from UCLA transfer here."

"Do you want a ride there?" Ephram kindly offered. "It's on the way back to Amy's and we have to…"

Amy quickly elbowed Ephram in the ribs; she didn't want the news of Bright finally coming home after trying to kill himself to be spread all over Everwood, as it would make Bright feel like more of a loser.

"That would be great, actually," Bethany replied softly. "I just have to get a folder and my wallet."

Amy nodded and Bethany hurried into the back room, "What time are Bright and your parents getting home?" Ephram asked softly. "Bright was being released at six and it's almost ten, so do you…?"

"My mom and dad were taking Bright out for breakfast before they left Denver," Amy replied softly.

Ephram nodded and smiled when Bethany came into the sitting area with a folder in one hand and a purse in the other, "I'm ready to go," she said in a cheerful voice. "Here's hoping for success."

* * *

Radio music filled the car, making up for the lack of conversation. Bright was slouched in the backseat with a blanket over his body and sunglasses covering his eyes while Rose sat in the front passenger seat reading a book that she had brought along in case Bright wasn't up to talking. Harold sat behind the wheel with sunglasses covering his eyes and a grim expression on his face as if he were driving a hearse.

They had indeed stopped at a restaurant for breakfast and all had gone well until the food had been served; Harold had insisted that Bright eat more than a small bowl of yogurt and tea and had proceeded to order him a large breakfast of eggs, hash browns, toast, fruit, and milk so to get his strength up.

Not wanting to let his parents down yet again, Bright had forced himself to eat the entire meal and then promptly threw it up all over the cashier as they were leaving. Harold had immediately swung into doctor mode, got Bright a glass of water, and had made him sit down to make sure he was all right.

When the restaurant staff started grumbling, Rose had hurried Bright outside and had gotten him a pair of extra clothes that they had brought just in case of an emergency that day. Deeply mortified with what had happened, Bright had then hurried into the restaurant's bathroom and quickly changed clothes.

Now, after stopping at a highway service station to get some vitamin water for Bright's stomach, they were about half an hour away from home, "Bright, honey, you should probably wake up and have a little bit more water," Rose said in a gentle voice. "We should be home in about half an hour."

"Okay," Bright replied groggily as he opened his eyes, but made no effort to move from underneath the blanket. "Do you think that restaurant will ever calm down? The way they yelled at Dad today, they…"

Rose sighed and handed Bright the small bottle of vitamin water with a straw in it, which Bright accepted rather reluctantly, "I'm still feeling kind of icky, so do I have to drink a lot?" he asked, peering at the vitamin water with an expression of disgust on his face. "I can't believe I puked in a restaurant."

"You either drink everything in that bottle or we'll stop by my office on the way home and I'll put an IV in your arm," Harold replied in a no-nonsense voice. "I know pushing too much food on you too soon was probably a mistake, but you need all the fluids you can get right now; you're terribly thin and…"

Bright scoffed and silently sipped some of the water, "The town's probably gonna wonder where you are, Dad," he said in a groggy voice as he handed the bottle back to Rose. "Don't you work today?"

"I'm not going back to work until Monday," Harold replied gently, peering in the rearview mirror.

Nodding, Bright sighed and looked out the window, "Amy's probably gonna drag Ephram over to gawk at me once I'm home," he commented tiredly as he slouched back. "All I want to do is sleep right now."

"Why don't you just go back to sleep for now and I'll make you a bed on the couch when we get home, okay Bright?" Rose gently suggested. "Unless you want to stay awake and talk with us a little bit?"

Bright shrugged and slowly pushed the blanket off of himself, revealing a loose sweatshirt and his bandaged wrists and his pale hands, "I'm tired, but if you want to talk, Mom, I'll listen," he replied.

* * *

Nearly 40 minutes later, Bright allowed his mother to lead him into the house and straight to the family room; the couch was already made up as a bed complete with a fluffy pillow and there was a large mug of tea on the coffee table along with a few videotapes, books, and the TV remote. Bright sighed tiredly.

"I guess your grandmother or Amy decided to surprise you," Rose commented as she led Bright over to the couch and helped him to sit down. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat, Bright?"

Bright sighed and shook his head, "I just want to lie down," he replied softly. "Is that all right?"

Rose nodded and helped Bright to lie down, "Do you want to watch TV or read?" she asked gently as she covered him up with the blanket. "I see your grandmother's been to the video and book store…"

Before Bright could reply, Harold came into the house holding Bright's bag in one hand and a cell-phone in the other and closed the front door behind him. "Amy just called and she and Ephram are on their way over," he explained in a semi-concerned voice. "I told them not to pepper Bright with questions…"

"Do they have to visit me now?" Bright asked softly, suddenly self-conscious of his bandaged wrists.

Harold frowned, but Rose shook her head, "If you want to rest now, dear, I can tell Ephram and Amy to visit you later today," she said, well aware of the concern her husband was feeling for their son.

"That would be great, Mom; thanks," Bright replied tiredly. "Maybe I'll have some of this tea and read."

Harold looked surprised at Bright wanting to read, but didn't comment, "Well, I'm going to make up some soup and you can try having a little bit for lunch," Rose said in a cheerful voice. "All right?"

Shrugging, Bright picked up the Chicken Soup for the Soul book from the table and silently opened it to the first story. As he quietly began to read, the front door opened and Amy and Ephram came inside.

"Hey" Amy said as she came into the family room and saw Bright reading. "What are you reading?"

Bright sighed, but didn't look up from the book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul," he replied tiredly.

"Oh yeah, did Grandma pick that up for you?" Amy asked nervously. "How are you feeling?"

Bright didn't reply as Rose dragged Harold into the kitchen so that the Ephram, Amy, and Bright could have some space, "Hey there, Bright," Ephram said in a gentle voice. "How do you like being home?"

"I'm not sure yet," Bright replied tonelessly, silently hoping that Amy and Ephram would just go away.

Ephram nodded and looked to Amy, "Now that you two have had your little gawk at the freak who tried to off himself, you can go about your merry lives," Bright snapped as he looked up from his book.

"Bright!" Rose spoke up in an alarmed voice as she and Harold came back into the room. "What are you yelling about?"

Bright scoffed and set the book on the table, "Amy and Ephram just came by to see how freaky I looked with my wrists bandaged up," he snapped angrily. "Why not invite the whole town to come look?!"

"Bright, Amy and Ephram just wanted to say hello," Harold said anxiously, his eyes widening as Bright stood up, grabbed the cup of tea and the book, and walked over to the stairs. "Where are you going?"

Shaking his head, Bright slowly went up the stairs and a few minutes later, the sound of a door slamming could be heard, "What just happened in here?" Rose asked in a shocked voice. "Ephram, Amy, what…?"

"I was just trying to help," Amy whispered in a shocked voice. "I-I figured Bright would like company so I brought Ephram over."

Rose sighed, "Maybe I should go upstairs and check on him," she replied in a concerned voice. "I'm a little worried…"

"Rose, Bright just needs some space to simmer down," Harold scoffed. "It's like what happened at the restaurant; he's just trying to adjust to what he's done and how he feels about it. If we give him space to figure it out, he'll be just fine."

Meanwhile, up in the safety of his room, Bright was sitting on his bed with his cell-phone in one hand and Dr. Mitchell's card in the other. The book and cup of tea were on the bedside table and Bright was extremely stressed about how Amy and Ephram thought he was a charity case and how his father thought he would be fine with time and space; he was anything but fine.

Bright had heard his mother and father talking as he had climbed the stairs to his bedroom and wasn't surprised by his father's attitude towards the whole situation. The problem was, Bright thought, that the urge to hurt himself hadn't fully disappeared.

Letting out a sigh, Bright dialed Dr. Mitchell's number, put the cell-phone to his ear, and listened to it ring, "Hey, Doctor Mitchell, it's Bright Abbott," he said in an anxious voice as Dr. Mitchell's voice answered with a greeting. "I was wondering if I could talk with you early next week. I know it's only my first day home from the hospital, but I really need to talk to someone about some stuff that happened after I left the hospital..."


	8. Realizations and Complications

The weekend was a very quiet, tension-filled event at the Abbott house and Bright spent most of it, except for mealtimes and to use the bathroom. Whenever possible, he avoided his father and Amy and only spoke to his mother and grandmother in monosyllables, choosing to also spend little time with Lily.

As the sunrise's rays shone through Bright's blinds, he opened his eyes and immediately regretted it; his head was pounding and he felt ready to throw up all over his bed. The withdrawals had truly begun.

Letting out a tired sigh, Bright sat up and immediately lay back down to avoid throwing up all over the bed; he had barely slept last night because of nightmares about his parents and now he felt so sick.

A knock on his bedroom door caused Bright to sigh, "Be dressed and downstairs for breakfast in 15 minutes, Bright," his father's stern voice echoed through the door. "I want us to eat a peaceful meal before I head off to the clinic this morning. Your grandmother already went to open up the clinic…"

Almost immediately, Bright could hear footsteps move away from the door and he groaned despite being relieved. He had been nauseous all weekend and had hidden to keep from getting sick.

There was silence and then Bright could hear a throat clear, "Bright, I know things haven't been easy for you lately and I haven't been the best support," he heard his father say in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry..."

Swallowing hard, Bright slowly sat up and forced himself to stand, "Dad, can we talk?" he asked in as steady a voice as he could manage feeling dizzy and nauseous. "I'm not feeling too good right now…"

As the knob turned, Bright pressed his hand against his forehead and sank to his knees, "Bright, talk to me," Harold said in a concerned voice as he came into the room and saw Bright kneeling on the floor.

"I feel so dizzy," Bright replied weakly. "I also feel like I'm gonna blow cookies all over the place."

Harold nodded and knelt down next to Bright, "How long have you been feeling like this?" he asked worriedly as he took in Bright's pale complexion. Bright groaned and his body suddenly shuddered.

"All weekend," Bright replied weakly, wincing as his father stood up, walked over to the bed, and came back with a pillow and blanket in hand. "What's that? Am I being banned from sleeping in my bed?"

Shaking his head, Harold knelt down, set the pillow on the floor, and gently took hold of Bright's shoulders, "No, just lie down," he replied softly as he eased Bright down on to the pillow. "I should have known there would be withdrawal symptoms since I forced you off the antidepressants cold turkey."

All Bright could do was moan softly, "Rose, call an ambulance right now," he heard his father call out.

* * *

"It's so beautiful here, Amy," Bethany said in an awed voice as she got off of the bike Amy had borrowed from the Abbott's garage and began to walk it down the road. "Is your dad going to mind me using it?"

Remaining on her bike, Amy shook her head, "Dad hasn't ridden that thing in like 10 years," she replied in an amused voice. "Bright used to take it out on long bike rides before he started driving to school."

Bethany nodded, "Blake used to bike around Los Angeles a lot when we were in high school," she replied in a pleasant voice. "I sent him my new address, but I haven't heard from him in a while…"

Amy sighed and frowned when she saw an ambulance with flashing lights parked in front of her house with the back doors open, "What's that ambulance doing in front of my house?" she asked worriedly.

Both Bethany and Amy were silent as they approached the house and saw a paramedic standing in the open door talking with a worried looking Rose, "Amy, I'm glad you and your friend are back," Rose said in an anxious voice. "Hello there, young lady, I don't believe we've met yet. I'm Rose Abbott."

"I'm Bethany," Bethany replied softly. "Why is there an ambulance here? Is everything okay?"

Rose sighed, "Bright woke up really sick this morning and your father ordered an ambulance called," she explained in a worried voice as there was suddenly a loud noise inside. "Harold, what was that?"

There was silence for a moment and then Harold came out of the house, "Bright's severely dehydrated and is suffering from withdrawal symptoms because I forced him off the antidepressants cold turkey," he explained in a somber voice. "The paramedics want him to go to the emergency room in Denver for observation, but Bright's lucid enough to protest; he's had enough of the hospital to last a lifetime."

Bethany was silent for a moment and then went into the house, not caring that she hadn't been formally invited inside. She could hear sounds upstairs, so she followed them and eventually found herself in the doorway of Bright's bedroom. Bright was lying on the floor looking pasty white with his eyes closed and his bandaged wrists on his stomach while a paramedic was swabbing his arm. For a moment, Bethany's gaze lingered on Bright's bandaged wrists and then she knelt next to him.

"If you open your eyes, Bright, I'll tell you a secret," Bethany whispered in a gentle voice. "Please?"

Even though Bright wanted to pass out more than anything, he opened his eyes, "Am I dead?" he whispered, trying to focus his tired eyes on the blonde goddess that was hovering over him.

"No," Bethany replied softly. "I do know what it's like, though, to go through something horrible and want to just disappear forever; I had something bad happen to me and I had the same thoughts…"

Bright blinked and sighed, "Don't lose heart, Bright," Bethany whispered. "Happiness will come."

Tears welled up in Bright's eyes as footsteps could suddenly be heard on the stairs, "I don't want to get jabbed by the needle," he whispered in a pained voice. "This guy wants to put a needle in my arm."

"It's an IV, Bright," Bethany explained in a gentle voice. "The fluids will help you feel better."

Bright nodded, his eyes still on Bethany. The paramedic quickly took the opportunity to put the IV in Bright's arm carefully, but very quickly, "You must be in the medical field," the paramedic remarked.

"I'm a nursing student," Bethany replied softly, unaware that Harold had come up the stairs to see how things were progressing and was silently watching her talk with Bright. "I'm a friend of Amy's."

Bright sighed tiredly, "I'd shake your hand, but I feel too crappy to move," he replied weakly.

"It's all right," Bethany replied softly, smiling at him. "You just stay where you are and relax."

"Bright, your mother and I have been talking and we think you should go to the hospital," Harold said as he came in and lingered right behind Bethany. "Well, hello there, young lady; who exactly are you?"

Swallowing hard, Bethany nervously got to her feet and quickly turned to face Harold, "I'm one of Amy's friends," she replied nervously as she moved back to the door. "I have to get going; please excuse me."

Harold frowned, but quickly knelt down next to Bright, "How are you feeling, son?" he asked softly.

"Dizzy and ready to puke," Bright replied weakly as he closed his eyes. "The room's spinning a bit."

Nodding, Harold frowned, "When did you start taking them and how many did you take at a time?"

"End of March, I think," Bright replied weakly. "I took like two or three a day sometimes cause I hurt…"

Fighting the urge to swear, Harold looked at the paramedic and then back at Bright, "I made an appointment with Doctor Mitchell on Friday for today, but I cancelled it last night because I felt like crap then too," he stated weakly as he suddenly cringed. "I threw up in the backyard so much this weekend."

"Oh man, Bright," Harold replied gently as he grabbed the blanket from the floor. "That's not good."

The paramedic looked at Harold, "I had a heck of a time getting a line started," he replied worriedly.

"All right, that's it," Harold said in a concerned voice. "Bright, you have to go to the hospital right now."

Bright moaned, but didn't open his eyes, "I'll call Doctor Mitchell from the ambulance and tell him that we're coming," Harold said in a gentle voice, taking Bright's hand as the paramedic left the room.

"You've got work at the clinic," Bright replied weakly as his hands suddenly started trembling.

Shaking his head, Harold covered Bright with the blanket, "Not today," he replied gently. "Relax."

* * *

The ringing telephone caused Andy to look up from the copy of the _Everwood Pinecone_ he was skimming through just in time to see Nina answer the phone, "Hello, Brown residence," Nina said into the phone, ignoring the fact that she had just experienced a brief bout of morning sickness.

There was silence and Nina frowned, "Yes, Doctor Abbott, he's actually right here," she said right before she held the phone out to Andy. "Andy, it's Doctor Abbott on the phone and he sounds distressed."

Frowning, Andy took the phone from Nina and held it up to his ear, "What's wrong, Harold?" he asked in a concerned voice, shocked when Harold's voice cut him off and started explaining about Bright in such an anxious voice that Andy had to listen carefully to understand it all. "You want me to cover for you?"

"Andy, what's wrong?" Nina asked as Andy nodded and sighed. "Did something happen?"

Andy sighed, "…I hope he feels better soon," he replied worriedly. "All right, Harold; good bye."

Nina was silent as Andy hung up the phone, "Bright's been suffering from withdrawal symptoms since he got out of the hospital and he's very dehydrated as a result," Andy explained in a worried voice, unaware that Ephram was coming into the kitchen behind him. "Harold decided that Bright should go to Denver for rehydration and there's an ambulance at Abbott's right now getting ready to take him…"

"Wait, Bright's sick?" Ephram asked worriedly as he came into his father and Nina's view. "How bad?"

Andy frowned and set the phone on the table, "An ambulance is taking Bright to a hospital in Denver for rehydration and observation," he explained, unaware that Delia and a groggy looking Sam were coming towards the kitchen for some breakfast. "Doctor Abbott's going to go with him and look after him."

"Is Bright sick, Daddy?" Delia asked worriedly, looking at her father and Nina. "Can we visit him?"

Nina quickly shook her head, "Not today, sweetheart," she replied softly. "Bright needs all the rest and care from his family he can get right now, but why don't you make him a get well card at school today?"

"I have to get ready for school," Delia replied softly as she hurried out of the room. "Come on, Sam."

Sam nodded and hurried after Delia. Andy, Nina, and Ephram all stood there in a shocked silence about what had just happened. Several minutes passed and, although it was faint, all three could distinctly hear the sound of ambulance sirens echoing through the air. They all knew who the sirens were for.

* * *

The clinic was quiet and Edna found it rather refreshing as she sat at the computer updating patient files and making sure everything was in working order. She had left the house while Bright was still asleep and had told Harold to go easy on Bright since any sort of recovery process took a great deal of time.

As Edna was contemplating locking up and sneaking down the street to the diner for a coffee before Harold or Andy got in, the door suddenly opened. A young man with dirty blonde hair came into the clinic with torn, bloodstained clothes, and a bad gash on his forehead. He looked sick and lost.

"Excuse me, young man?" Edna asked as she got to her feet. "Can I help you with something?"

For a moment, the young man was quiet and then shrugged, "I kinda hurt all over and I'm really hungry," he replied in a faint voice, gazing at Edna. "Do you maybe have a little spare food?"

Edna was trying to figure out what to say when Andy, who had quickly come to work to update her on Bright, came into the clinic and saw the battered young man standing there looking lost and confused.

"Hello there, I'm Doctor Brown," Andy said pleasantly, extending his hand. "What's your name?"

The young man was quiet for a moment and then looked frightened, "I don't know," he replied softly.

* * *

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	9. Hidden Secrets Coming To Light

"Ephram! Nina's voice called out, prompting Ephram to look up from his laptop. "You have a call!"

Letting out a sigh, Ephram quickly saved his work and looked up from his laptop just in time to see Nina come into the room holding the phone with a worried expression on her face, "It's important," she said.

Figuring it was Amy calling to ask him to come with her to Denver, Ephram took the phone, "Hello?" he asked in a pleasant voice. "Oh, hi Dad; what's up? Wait…why do you need me to come to the clinic?"

There was muffled talking and Ephram nodded, "All right, I'll bring some of my old clothes," he replied softly as he listened to his father speak some more. "Okay, okay; I love you too, Dad. Goodbye."

"That wasn't about Bright, was it?" Nina asked worriedly as Ephram hung up the phone and sighed.

Ephram shook his head, "No," he replied softly. "Some kid wandered into the clinic…"

"How about I give you a ride to the clinic?" Nina suggested softly. "I have to do some shopping anyway."

For a moment, Ephram nodded and then sighed, "It's just weird thinking that even though Bright got sick, nobody stops living their lives," he said in a quivering voice. "It's like how it happened with…"

"Your mother?" Nina asked softly, gazing worriedly at Ephram. "Ephram, it's okay to still be grieving…"

Ephram was quiet for several seconds and then cringed, "It's just that you're my dad's new wife and I shouldn't be grieving over my mom that's been dead for four and a half years," he explained in the same trembling voice as he looked up at her. "It's not fair to you or anyone else that I'm feeling this way."

Nina sighed as Ephram silently closed his eyes, "I thought I had gotten over it and then all those feelings came back when Bright tried to kill himself and I saw him dying," he explained in an upset voice. "I…"

Tears coursed down Ephram's face and Nina quickly put her arms around him. Ephram was tense for a moment, as he hadn't really gotten any motherly affection since his mother had died, but then he relaxed and allowed himself to be held by his stepmother; a mother's love really was comforting.

"How about I help you get some clothes together and then we'll go to the clinic together?" Nina suggested gently as she released Ephram. "Maybe after that, we can go out for some sort of snack?"

Nodding, Ephram smiled at Nina and moved over to the closet to pick out some of his old clothes.

* * *

Edna sighed as she watched the nameless young man sit down on the exam table clad only in a clean, very oversized gown. His clothes had been carefully removed by Dr. Brown and had been turned over the police as evidence in trying to find the young man's identity. The young man let out a tired sigh.

"Am I in trouble with the cops?" the young man asked softly. "They took my clothes and shoes…"

Edna shook her head, "No, Doctor Brown just wants to help the police try and find out who you are," she replied softly, concerned by the young man's pallor and injuries. "Maybe you should lie down."

Before the young man could reply, the exam room door opened and Andy came in, "I just finished talking with the police and they want to talk to you," he explained softly. "I told them that I still had to treat your injuries and make sure that you're okay before I let them talk to you. Is that all right?"

"Yeah," the young man replied softly as he touched his forehead. "Can you help me feel better?"

Andy nodded, "Physically, yes," he replied gently. "I'll need to take some x-rays and do a physical."

"Am I going to be able to remember who I am?" the young man asked softly. "Because I can't…"

Andy and Edna exchanged a glance and Andy sighed, "I don't know," he replied softly.

Looking rather disturbed, the young man shook his head, "Then I don't want your help," he replied stiffly as he slowly stood up and immediately put a hand on his abdomen. "I'll just go somewhere else."

"Why are you holding your abdomen like that?" Andy asked, seeing pain fill the young man's face. "If you're hurt enough to need surgery, I'll need to call an ambulance and they'll take you to Denver…"

The young man sighed, "I'm not going to Denver," he replied weakly. "Anywhere but Denver, okay?"

"Aurora's about an hour south," Andy said in a gentle voice. "If I call an ambulance from there, will…?"

Wincing, the young man nodded and sighed softly as he sat back on the table. "I'll go to Aurora."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the hospital in Denver, Harold was pacing the hallway outside of the room where Dr. Mitchell and a few nurses were taking care of Bright. They had arrived at the hospital nearly an hour ago and now all Harold could do was wait to see how long Bright would be sick in the hospital this time.

Rose had followed in the car with Amy, Lily, and Bethany and while Amy was taking Lily for a walk around the more pleasant areas of the hospital, Rose was getting breakfast in the cafeteria. Bethany, however, had promptly disappeared upon their arrival at the hospital, claiming she had things to do.

Harold sighed wearily; once Bright was stable, they would have a long overdue, heartfelt discussion…

"Doctor Abbott?" a familiar, yet unusually somber voice suddenly asked. "Do you have a minute?"

Harold looked up from the floor and was surprised to see Helen standing there in flower pattered scrubs and sneakers with her hair in a ponytail, "Yes, Nurse Mitchell, what can I do for you?" he asked tiredly.

"First of all, I'm sorry that Bright isn't doing well," Helen replied softly. "Secondly, I need your help."

Frowning, Harold nodded, but said nothing, "I have a patient that's responding badly to some medication that he needs," Helen explained softly. "I was wondering if you could see him…"

"As much as I would like to provide medical services for your patient, I am currently facing a family crisis and I don't have the energy to deal with anything else," Harold replied somberly. "I'm sorry, but…"

Helen sighed, "The patient is Bethany's father, Doctor Abbott," she replied softly. "Normally, I wouldn't break doctor-patient confidentiality, but when Bethany came to visit him, she started telling him about this young man who she helped earlier today; she said it's why she's in school to become a nurse."

"That was Bright," Harold stated tiredly. "Bethany said something to him that seemed to relax him."

Helen nodded, "Bethany's always been good at calming people down," she replied softly. "Anyway…"

"What floor is Bethany's father on?" Harold asked worriedly. "I probably can't do much, but…"

Smiling, Helen gestured down the hallway and Harold silently followed her past several patient rooms before coming to a stop outside of a room near the far end of the hallway. Helen knocked on the door.

"Bethany, it's Grandma," Helen said in a gentle voice. "I brought Doctor Abbott with me…"

There was a moment of silence and then the door opened, "Dad just woke up again," Bethany replied as she poked her head outside of the room. "Hi there, Doctor Abbott; sorry I didn't tell you where I was…"

"It's all right, Bethany," Harold replied softly. "Anyway, I hear that your father isn't feeling well…"

Bethany nodded and opened the door all the way causing Harold's eyes to widen; there, in a hospital bed and hooked to a machine and several IV's, lay a very pale and forlorn looking Jake Hartman. He was wearing a flimsy hospital gown and looked discontent to have tubes in his nose despite the warm blanket his body was covered by. Harold was shocked at how thin and ill Jake was looking.

"Doctor Abbott, meet my father," Bethany said in a soft voice as she moved aside. "Jake Hartman."

* * *

An ambulance with the back doors open greeted Ephram and Nina as they pulled up in front of the clinic and got out with a bag filled with clothes and toiletries in their hands, "I didn't realize it was that bad," Ephram commented as they entered the clinic and saw that the waiting room was empty. "Dad?"

There was silence and then Andy came out of the back room, "Edna's helping the paramedics get ready to take the young man to Aurora for treatment," he explained somberly. "I did what I could for him, but he's got some internal injuries that need surgery and for some reason, he refuses to go to Denver."

"Nina and I brought some clothes and other stuff for him," Ephram explained, holding out the bags.

Andy smiled at Nina and embraced her, "How are you feeling, darling?" he asked pleasantly.

"A little morning sickness, but it'll go away with time," Nina replied gently. "We've got so much to do."

Ephram grinned, "Do Delia and Sam know that they'll be getting a new brother or sister?" he asked.

"Not yet, but we'll tell them soon," Nina replied gently. "How are you feeling about it, Ephram?"

Ephram shrugged, "I'm happy about it," he replied, remembering his and Nina's private conversation.

Andy nodded, but before he could reply, the paramedics rolled the gurney out of the exam room and he was surprised to see that the young man was still awake despite being strapped to a backboard, given IV fluids through the arms and chest, and being in a lot of pain. Edna came out after them looking somber.

"I'm really sorry to have to run, but I'm going to Aurora with John to see if I can't help him remember anything," Andy explained to Nina and Ephram as the paramedics wheeled the gurney outside.

Ephram frowned, "John?" he asked in a confused voice. "I thought he couldn't remember…."

"Whenever the police help a man with amnesia, they will often give them the name of 'John Doe' just because there's nothing else to call them," Andy explained gently. "Maybe after some surgery and time in the hospital, he'll get some of his memory back, but for now, he's going to be known as John Doe."

Ephram nodded and Andy took the bags, "Thank you for bringing the clothes and other stuff," Andy continued in a calm voice. "I'll call from the Aurora hospital when I have more information."

"Dad, I was thinking of going to visit Bright later today," Ephram spoke as Andy moved to the door.

Andy nodded, but looked concerned, "Maybe call Doctor Abbott before you do," he replied softly. "The number's on the list by Edna's desk and I'm sure she'll give it to you. Anyway, I have to get going."

As Andy left, Edna looked at Ephram quizzically, "Bright got really sick this morning and Doctor Abbott called an ambulance to take Bright to the hospital in Denver," Ephram explained. "I don't know…"

Edna was quiet for several moments and then nodded, "I'll call Junior's cell if you want to stick around and wait to see how Bright's doing," she said, giving a knowing look to Ephram. "I could use some help."

"It's all right if you stay, Ephram," Nina spoke in encouragingly. "I have some shopping to do."

Ephram nodded and was quiet as Nina hugged him and left, "You can start by cleaning the exam room," Edna said in an encouraging voice. "Cleaning stuff is in the closet and I'll get around to phoning Junior while you're doing that."

Ephram silently went into the back and Edna let out a distressed sigh.

* * *

Harold sighed as he led Bethany back down the hall towards Bright's room; the visit with Jake had been short, but very informative. Jake had explained that he had contracted his illness through helping at an HIV/AIDS clinic shortly after returning to Los Angeles with his memories of Nina still fresh in his mind.

_Jake had stared at him for a few minutes in silence and then sighed, "You didn't think I had any kids, did you, Doctor Abbott?" he asked in a faint voice. "I moved to Everwood two years ago because I was grieving pretty badly and my two children encouraged me to take some time away from the city. Since my parents live in Denver, I thought about going there, but then my dad told me about Everwood…"_

"_Your last name is Hartman and their name is Mitchell," Harold replied. "How is that possible?"_

_Jake winced, "My brother and I were their foster kids for a while and then they adopted us," he explained in a tired voice. "Both names are on my degrees and now that I'm here, I'm using the Mitchell name…"_

"_Daddy, are you all right?" Bethany asked, suddenly noticing her father's wince. "Is it the meds again?"_

_Jake nodded and Bethany immediately adjusted the bed controls so that Jake was sitting in a semi-upright position, "Sometimes my stomach hurts a little because of the meds," he explained in a tired voice as Harold moved into the room. "Which reminds me; it's about time for my next dose…"_

"_I'll get it," Bethany replied softly as she walked over to the portable tray and it was then that Harold noticed several bottles of pills. He watched as Bethany counted out pills from each of the bottles._

_For a moment, as he watched Bethany deliver the pills to Jake's hand, Harold was silent, "AZT medication?" Harold asked as Jake took the pills and swallowed them in one gulp. "HIV or AIDS?"_

"_HIV," Jake replied softly, smiling as Bethany brought him a small cup of water over to him. "Thank you, Bethany, I appreciate your and your grandparents' help."_

_Bethany nodded, "Shortly after I returned to Los Angeles, I got involved in helping at a HIV/AIDS clinic and I got attacked with some dirty needles by some very anxious patients who wanted more relief than they had," Jake explained in a tired voice. "My parents came out to Los Angeles when my test came out positive and helped me get started on the cocktail, but I also got Hepatitis-C from the experience and…"_

"_You're suffering bad side effects and reactions from the meds," Harold replied, suddenly realizing that Jake was trying to keep his presence a secret because people would most likely fear his condition._

_Jake closed his eyes and groaned softly, "Sorry, just experiencing a bit of nausea," he stated softly. "I haven't been able to eat hardly anything because of the way I'm feeling; water's about all I can have."_

"_Daddy, why don't you get some rest?" Bethany gently suggested as she gently hugged him. "A nap's helped with the problems before, so there's no reason it won't work now; I love you a lot, Daddy."_

_Jake smiled sadly and nodded, "I love you too, my daughter," he replied sleepily. "Thanks for coming…"_

"Harold?"

Harold looked up from the floor and saw Rose standing there looking concerned, "Any word on Bright?" she asked softly, suddenly noticing that Bethany was also standing there. "Where have you been?"

"Visiting my father," Bethany replied softly, ignoring the worried look that Rose was giving her.

The hospital room door suddenly opened and Dr. Mitchell came out, "Mister and Mrs. Abbott, Bright's going to be fine," he explained, giving a brief smile to Bethany before focusing his attention on Harold and Rose. "His body is just taking withdrawals a little harder than other bodies would, so I want to keep him here for a couple of days just to get him rehydrated and get him feeling better. You can see him if…"

Rose didn't wait for him to finish; she hurried into the hospital room and sat at Bright's bedside, "I told Doctor Abbott about my dad, Grandpa," Bethany spoke softly. "Dad's still not feeling very good…"

"I see," Dr. Mitchell replied gently. "Bethany, why don't you and I go find your grandmother and the three of us can spend some time with your dad talking about ECC? It might help him feel better knowing you'll be nearby…"

Bethany nodded and walked off down the hallway with Dr. Mitchell, but Harold remained in the doorway with his mind reeling about Jake's condition. He knew that as a doctor, he was now faced with the question of how to provide help as a physician and friend. He and Jake had been rivals in the past, but now Jake needed help.

* * *

_**Please read and review.**_


	10. The Haunting and Lack of Memories

_**Four Days Later**_

**Aurora, Colorado**

The sight of 'John' sitting at the window in a plastic chair in nothing but a hospital gown nearly broke Andy's heart as he entered the hospital room. John's hospital bed had been freshly made and there was a fresh vase of hospital flowers on the bedside table, but other than that, the room was cheerless.

"Doctor Brown?" John's tired voice asked as he turned his head slightly. "How are you doing today?"

Andy sighed and looked at the bags of clothes and toiletries that sat in the corner, "I should be asking you the same thing, John," he replied as he walked over to the wheelchair. "I heard that you had some surgery; shouldn't you be in bed resting? You've got to be in some serious pain with your injuries…"

"I'm on drugs for the pain," 'John' replied softly as he held up his right hand, revealing an IV line.

Andy nodded and his gaze traveled to the sling that 'John's' left arm was resting in, "The doctors say that you can leave the hospital anytime as long as you have someone to take care of you," he explained, suddenly noticing the look of distress and pain in 'John's' eyes. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

Before 'John' could reply, an orderly came into the room pushing a wheelchair that had a sheaf of papers in it, "Here's that wheelchair you requested, Doctor Brown," he said in a calm voice.

"Am I being kicked out?" 'John' asked tiredly. "Hospitals usually don't like keeping charity cases."

Andy shook his head, "No, I'm checking you out," he replied gently. "I'm going to help you get dressed and then you're coming back to Everwood with me; I talked with my wife and kids and you're going to stay with us for a while. My wife, Nina, has made up the den for you so you can get some rest…"

"Why would you do that for me?" 'John' asked softly. "I'm a stranger and I don't know you…"

Andy sighed, but remained silent as he walked over to the bag of clothes, "No, you don't, but you look as though you could use a friend," he replied softly. "Now, sit tight, and I'll help you in just a minute."

* * *

The sun was warm, but felt rather intrusive to Bright as he sat in the open back passenger seat of his father's car waiting for his father to get done at the clinic. People passed by the car and gave him curious, almost pitying stares, but said nothing. He knew that he was officially Everwood's freak.

After a couple days of rest in the hospital, Bright had been released and had spent the last couple of days resting at home, talking with his parents about how he just wanted to like himself and life again after hating everything for so long. His mother had arranged several counseling appointments with Dr. Mitchell for the following days, but his father hadn't really had much to say about the whole thing; he hadn't wanted to deal with it after all.

Despite the strained peace between him and his parents, Bright still had bad dreams involving his failed attempt, Colin, and every bad memory of his life. He had told his grandmother about them and she had wanted him to open up to his parents, but Bright wasn't ready to open up to them quite yet.

Now, after resting and eating proper meals for the last four days, Bright had finally succumbed to his father's pleadings to stop hiding in the house. However, trying to move on wasn't that easy…"

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ephram's voice suddenly filtered into his ear. "What's up, Bright?"

Bright sighed and looked up from the pavement at Ephram, "Did my dad tell you to come be my friend because I'm made of glass?" he asked in a tired voice. "I'd get mad about that, but I can't feel it."

"Amy mentioned yesterday that you were thinking of getting out of the house today," Ephram replied softly, remembering his and Amy's conversation the other day. "I just thought I'd come say hi."

Shrugging, Bright climbed out of the car, "It wasn't my choice to come downtown," he replied in a toneless voice as he stared up at the clinic sign. "My dad insisted that I come out into the world."

There was silence as more people walked by the clinic, gazed at Bright, and began whispering to each other as they walked on, "I'm going to the grocery store to get some juice," Bright said in a toneless voice as he straightened up. "If my dad comes out and asks where I am, tell him I'm fine, okay?"

"Do you want some company?" Ephram asked, noticing the sadness in Bright's eyes. "I could…"

Bright shook his head and walked off down the street. For a moment, Ephram stood alone and then letting out a sigh, he went inside the clinic to wait for Dr. Abbott and talk to him about Bright.

* * *

"I bet it feels good to finally be out of the hospital," Harold commented as he placed the stethoscope on Jake's back where the gown was open. "You do realize that the effects will go away in time. Breathe…"

Jake took a deep breath, "I feel a little self-conscious coming out to Everwood for an appointment, but Bethany said that she had an interview at ECC and could drive me after visiting her grandparents and I last night," he said in a nervous voice as he felt the stethoscope move around his back. "I can't drive right now because of the muscle pain and it's…"

"You raised a good daughter," Harold said in a gentle voice as he moved the stethoscope away

Jake shrugged, "I did what I could, but I was busy with my career," he replied tiredly. "My wife…"

Suddenly, Jake went very quiet, "Sorry, I don't like talking about her," he replied softly. "Anyway…"

"Your father sent me your latest bloodwork and your viral load is going down slowly," Harold explained as he picked up Jake's chart and skimmed it. "However, you've developed some anemia…"

Jake nodded, "That's probably why I've been feeling so tired," he replied softly. "I'm staying with my parents in Denver and while Bethany was visiting us yesterday, I ended up falling asleep on the couch."

"I'll prescribe some iron tablets," Harold replied worriedly. "Are you taking the cocktail properly?"

Nodding, Jake winced and stretched his hands out, "Back and limb spasms," he said in an apologetic voice. "I've become sort of nocturnal because of muscle pain; I stay awake a lot during the night…"

"Have you tried acupuncture?" Harold asked worriedly. "Your viral load will become unstable if…"

Jake sighed, "I know I need more rest," he replied tiredly. "Maybe when Bethany starts school here in the fall and can get into a routine and if my son ever decides to quit grieving and show his face…"

"Well, I'll write out that prescription," Harold said, seeing that Jake was in no mood to talk anymore.

Nodding, Jake removed the gown and picked up his sweatshirt, "Thanks for helping me out, Doctor Abbott," he replied as he put the sweatshirt back on. "Not everyone would be so kind…"

"I understand," Harold said, thinking of Jake's past in Everwood as he tore off a prescription paper.

Jake smiled sadly as Harold handed him the prescription paper, "I can also refer you to some acupuncturists if you would like some relief," Harold continued softly. "For your aches and pains…"

"I'll think about it," Jake replied tiredly. "My parents have a cabin out here and I'm thinking of staying in Everwood a couple of days so I can help Bethany get ready for college while I'm feeling okay enough."

Harold nodded and watched as Jake slipped on a tuque and sunglasses, "This way, nobody will recognize me and ask if I'm going to open another practice out here," Jake explained. "I just can't do it anymore…"

Nodding, Harold opened the door, "If you start to feel off, call me," he replied, frowning as he suddenly saw Louise standing there looking rather nervous. Jake left hurriedly so not to be recognized by anyone.

"Ephram Brown was just in and said that Bright went to the market for a juice," Louise stated softly.

Frowning, Harold nodded and waited for only a brief second before he left the clinic in a hurry.

* * *

Silence filled the market and several grocers were watching Bright rather nervously as he silently ventured up and down the aisles, occasionally pausing for a moment to glance at whatever was on the shelf before moving on. He knew people were staring at him worriedly, but he wasn't able to care.

Even though it had appeared as if he were eating regular meals and getting a good night's rest, Bright had been eating just enough to get people to leave him alone and he had laid awake in his bed at night, not making any sounds so that his parents would think he was asleep. Truth be told, he still felt bad.

Bright was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that he had walked out of the store, nearly barreling into Ephram in the process, and was now walking very fast down the rest of Main Street. He could hear voices calling after him, but it was as if he couldn't get away from everything fast enough to be alone.

"Oh, for goodness sakes," Harold commented as he watched his son turn the corner. "What now?"

Shaking his head, Harold sighed; Bright most likely wanted to exercise and would be home later. There was no reason to worry about Bright any longer because he was fine, Harold mused; all was well again.

Now that Bright seemed well in hand, Harold thought, he could move his focus back to building up the practice that he and Dr. Brown shared and also on helping Jake with his new and very scary diagnosis.

* * *

Jake sighed and self-consciously glanced around as he approached the drug counter that was in the back of the small Everwood pharmacy with the prescription for iron pills in hand. He hadn't removed the hat or sunglasses despite being indoors and he had no intention of removing them until he was at the cabin.

"Excuse me, I'm here to fill a prescription," Jake said in a quiet voice to the pharmacist. "Quickly."

The pharmacist gave him a look, but took the prescription, "Right away," he replied nervously.

Nodding, Jake turned away to wait and his heart dropped as Nina, Delia, and Sam came into the pharmacy, "...We've just got to get some of the prescriptions that the Aurora hospital faxed, some vitamins, and then we'll go home," he heard Nina say in a cheerful voice. "Then, I'll have a nap…"

"How long until the baby arrives, Mommy?" Sam asked as Jake turned around. "I'm excited for it."

Jake swallowed hard and turned back to the pharmacy counter, "Here's your prescription," the pharmacist said in a cheerful voice. "Do you think you'll be opening another practice here?"

"Um, no," Jake replied nervously, suddenly hearing a shocked gasp behind him. "I'm not…"

There were footsteps, "What are you doing back in Everwood, Jake?" Nina's voice asked worriedly.

Cringing, Jake turned and saw that Nina was standing there with Delia and Sam, "Sam, Delia, why don't you two go and get a little bit of candy?" Nina asked softly. "I need to speak with Doctor Hartman."

Delia nodded and dragged Sam off, "I see you have prescription drugs," Nina said in a confrontational voice as she glared at him. "Are the sunglasses and hat because you don't want anyone to see you?"

"They're iron tablets," Jake replied softly as he opened the bag and pulled out the bottle. "See?"

Nina scoffed, "Why are you back, Jake?" she asked softly. "I got married again not long after you left and I'm happier now than I have been in a long time; Andy and I have two children, soon to be three…"

"I don't want to get into it," Jake replied softly, suddenly beginning to feel tired. "Goodbye, Nina…"

Nina's eyes blazed and she promptly slapped Jake, "You can't ever have me back," she snapped. "You decided to go back to L.A. and I moved on; you can go back to the city and stay there until you die…"

As Nina moved off to find Sam and Delia, Jake sighed, "I already have one death sentence, Nina," Jake said in a tired voice as he removed his sunglasses and hat. "Don't slap another one on me, please."

"What are you talking about?" Nina asked worriedly. "Do you have cancer or something, Jake?"

Jake suddenly looked terrified, but before he could reply, he suddenly frowned, touched his nose, and saw blood on his fingers, "Oh, I have to go," he said anxiously. "If you'll please excuse me, Nina."

Frowning, Nina was silent as Jake rushed outside and then she went looking for Sam and Delia.

* * *

Bethany sighed happily as she pulled her grandfather's car into an empty space in front of the Brown/Abbott Family Clinic; the interview had gone well and she would start at ECC in the fall.

She had called her grandparents before leaving the college and they were coming so that they could all have a celebratory, albeit early dinner at the restaurant just outside of Everwood. All she had to do now was find her dad so that they could talk about ECC during the drive out to the restaurant.

As she got out of the car, however, Bethany was horrified to see her father walking very quickly down the street with a bloodstained hand covering his nose, "Dad?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"I'll be just a few minutes, Bethany," Jake replied anxiously as he approached her. "I was in the drugstore and my nose suddenly started bleeding; the air is just so dry here and it's so much…"

Bethany nodded, "Do you want some ice from the cooler that's in Grandpa's trunk?" she asked softly as she hurried around to the back of the car and opened the trunk. "He put it in the car last night."

"Yeah, but I'll get it," Jake replied softly as he opened the cooler and pulled out an icepack.

Bethany silently watched as her father pressed the icepack against the side of his nose, "I got blood on my hands and my shirt," Jake said in a distressed voice. "I'll have to change somewhere before…."

"Grandpa always keeps spare clothes out at the cabin," Bethany replied softly. "And, if you're not feeling well today, we can always do the dinner next week before school starts up again. I've got time…"

Jake sighed, "That might be a good idea," he replied apologetically. "I should rest out at the cabin."

"I'll drive you," Bethany said in a gentle voice. "Maybe you should take a nap during the drive."

As Jake got into the passenger seat of Bethany's car, he and Bethany were unaware that Harold was watching from the medical office doorway. Harold was moved by Bethany's compassion for her father.

* * *

The house was quiet as Andy opened the door and helped 'John' walk inside, "Wow," John said in an awed, but very tired voice as he gazed around the house. "This is a really, really nice house."

Andy smiled, but his smile immediately faded when he saw how tired John looked from walking from the car, up the front steps, and into the house, "How are you feeling, John?" he asked gently.

"Tired and a little sore," 'John' replied tiredly. "The painkiller I took at the hospital is wearing off."

Andy nodded and watched as John winced and gazed down at the oversized sweat pants, old t-shirt, and sandals that was covering his bandages and also that the sling his arm was resting in, "If you want, I can set you up on the den couch so you can rest a bit; the doctor said you're supposed to take it easy."

"Yeah, okay," John replied in a pained voice. "Doctor Brown, am I ever going to remember my name?"

Andy was silent for a moment and then sighed, "I'm honestly not sure, John," he replied somberly. "The last MRI they took showed that the portion of your brain in charge of memory is still recovering from the head injury you have. It could take a little or a great deal of time for your memory to return, if it does."

"I understand," John replied softly. "Do you think I could do something to be helpful to you and…?"

Andy shook his head and gestured to the den, "What you can do is rest," he replied softly. "Come on."

Nodding, 'John' followed Andy into the den and was shocked to see a bed all made up for a person to rest and a small table beside it that was filled with magazines, books, videos, and a mug of liquid.

"Now, just lie down and relax," Andy insisted as the door opened. "That must be Nina, Delia, and Sam."

Smiling reassuringly at John, Andy left the room. John walked over to the bed and slowly sat down. He could hear Dr. Brown and his wife talking about something, but he was too tired to care what it was.

* * *

The air was cold, but Bright didn't seem to care and he continued to lean against Colin's tombstone where he had come after spending hours walking around the woods. He had used his cell-phone to contact Dr. Mitchell for a brief chat about life and then he had turned it off to have time to think.

"…Colin, dude, I can't help wondering what would have happened if my attempt had actually worked," Bright said in a tired voice as he gazed up at the sky. "I don't mean to wish I was dead, but nothing's really working out for me anymore and I can't even tell anyone that cause they'll think I'm crazy."

Silence greeted Bright and he sighed, "Maybe I should do what Amy did when she was depressed," he spoke in a tired voice. "I hurt every day and nobody really notices; I just want to feel something…"

Bright swallowed hard and stood up, "Maybe I should just keep pretending I'm fine since my parents don't really care what happens to me," he said in a tired voice. "I should just register for some crap at ECC and try to get on with things as if none of this attempted suicide stuff ever happened to me…"

Suddenly, Bright was silent, "Wow," he said in an awed voice. "That's the first time since it happened that I actually admitted to myself that I tried to end my life. I also feel like that urge is still there, but…"

"Whatever," Bright said, stopping himself from going any further. "I'll just pretend everything is fine; it's no big deal."

As Bright left the cemetery, he was unaware that Bethany, who had left her father at her grandparents' cabin to be looked after by her grandparents and had elected to take a walk around Everwood, had overheard him and was silently processing. She had experienced similar suicidal feelings in the past, but had gotten help for them. It was obvious that Bright still needed help and either couldn't ask or was much too afraid to.

* * *

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